Nothing Remains
by Liz M. J
Summary: FOURSOME Guy/Kakashi/Shikamaru/Orochimaru :D Naruto/Sai Everything Ends. All issues, hopes, expectations, fairies, projects, dreams - here they all fall down, crumble, turn to dust - bit by bit. The Big Nowhere has come to swallow up the Good. The Evil dominating 'til the last. The Good battered and bruised - tattered and torn. Nothing Remains - Hope's left in eclypse. BEWARE.
1. God's Might on the Devil's Will

God's might on the Devil's will

"That huge mighty monster has come again.  
He's here – watching me, in his eyes the blinks and flashes of computation.  
He's thinking, reflecting – the position of his jaw, relaxed (with lips closed), slowly and lightly swinging.  
The position of his right hand – he's right-handed – left in mid air, fluttering – actually motionless.  
It's the arm that flutters, moving it.  
This is "HOW?" mode.  
He's trying to compute out "how" – how to use me.  
It's always so dark in his eyes when he watches me.  
He never tries to consider me, at least, as a piece of matter worth _in itself_ its existence – he considers me not _being_ worth.  
My worth is what I can be useful to.  
I must only yield, not be.  
He conserves and maintains me only because, to yield, I must exist.  
It would be the same if he had a wife only to have children – and out of her yielding sons, she, in his eyes, _wouldn't_ simply exist.  
When he has to do with me, he only cares about my functioning – the only parts of me that he cares for are those necessary to my working.  
He actually doesn't respect me at all.  
He often hurts me - getting angry, in his beasty way, with me - since he isn't able to get what he wants.  
And though he knows me well.  
Still, he doesn't remember the _way_ I am - so the way I work.  
The main problem, for me, is that I CAN'T ABSOLUTELY defend myself. I'm in his hands, literally. I cannot react, block him - interfere in any way on _what I DO_: he decides it, and stop.  
You may say - yeah, I'm actually paralyzed. It's like being constantly raped.  
I don't even imagine to ask him to ASK _me_ what I want; in his eyes, I don't have a will.  
I don't have a will as his, so I don't have a will at all.  
That my _will_ is justice, and isn't _wayward whining_ as his, he can't simply picture it.  
He's so stupid and so mighty.  
He's always wronging, with me.  
Apparently he has still to discover _which_ is my head, between the extremities.  
He's always nervous, and many a time he's destroyed one like me – because of that sudden outburst of anger I can only justify in preschool children.  
He's mighty as a God to humans – but such a Devil in will.  
Here it goes, he takes me."

Nagato Uzumaki looked through the glass.  
He chuckled saying "Well…the past at last has come. I was waiting." He continued laughing and turned to the blue-haired woman thereby:  
"See, he's chosen his new Uzumaki to look after.  
Strange it doesn't remember him of me. Well, I still think he didn't know I'm an Uzumaki. Nor that I know _that_ Uzumaki. I'm tired."  
He put down the glass and watched himself doing this.  
Yes, he watched himself.

"Look at him. The human, seed of the poisoned star that fell to earth.  
This one thinks of himself as god.  
What God?  
Humans still can't distinguish between 'excel' and 'exceed'.  
Omnia Plus Ultra, some human said.  
Ever to excel, ever to go further.  
There is this slight difference, though, between going 'ultra' the actual state and going 'ultra' THE state – the right one.  
Drift astray and struggle to evolve – these are completely different things.  
From the place you are now – OKAY, you move the same – but how can't you differentiate between FORWARD and ASTRAY?  
Look at this one – he wanted to go 'ultra' the current human – and ended up blistering, though free of shame, in the pits of self-rebirth.  
Now he puts me down.  
_One _of his bodies puts me down.  
He's – it's? Is it a human or a _used thing_, as I am? – he's laughing – apparently the thing he saw through me pleased him.  
Lucky of me, he won't bother me – misusing me as usual.  
I only know one thing – I don't know, being I a mere thing, whether a God created us or _we things_ evolved, pacing and dancing through time, this current system _of ours_.  
I only know a thing: better that humans remember they ARE things, too – they are physically existing.  
The inner world they 'picture' in their mind – which has to be the coincidental RECONSTRUCTION of the physical surroundings – well, they can make it differ.  
They will believe they live therein – here comes the hint of mine.  
If they do, they will still be existing OUT OF IT.  
And physically existing means 'the lies in your head won't change it'.  
Humans should just remember that THEY AREN'T inside the story they write.  
THEY ARE OUT OF IT.  
HELPLESS, HUNGRY AND ALONE.  
As things."


	2. Devilment Stirs

Devilment stirs

He turned around in front of the mirror, watching his aged figure.  
"I _can't_ deal with it.  
I won't deal with anything.  
This body is fucked up, I really need a new one. THAT new one.  
You can say it's ready, isn't it?  
I can reincarnate, I assure you…" he laughed scornfully.  
The other mumbled a minute and then answered: "HIS body is certainly ready. Would you try it now?"  
"Today. This evening. No. NOW.  
I don't need you, you know.  
I have just to have a talk with him...or well, KABUTO!  
Of course!" he paused, looking him and waiting for a reply.  
Which obviously, for the replier, and incredibly, for the asker, was:  
"What?"  
"…Create a corpse of Itachi.  
That brat doesn't know you're able to do it, right? Right.  
Go and fetch me it as soon as it's ready.  
I'm going to prepare him…OH KABUTO!" he ended, in an acute voice.  
The other sighed: "Yes…"  
"Yes what?"  
"Yes, Orochimaru-Sama?"  
"He must at least MOVE in some way.  
I don't ask you to clone him, it's just necessary that he walks and talks.  
Ok, you" he said, seeing Kabuto's distraught face "YOU bring me the corpse. I'll do the rest."  
"Yes, Orochimaru-Sama."  
Then he paced slowly out the room, trying to act normally.  
He began to sigh and swear as he turned the corner.  
Orochimaru went on looking himself, straight in the eyes, in the mirror – murmuring:  
"No, I don't see it – I can't picture it.  
Shouldn't I change my uniform?  
It wouldn't fit on his body…moreover, a tight uniform would be _wonderful_…  
Kabu- oh, right, he always palls me when it comes to sewing. He hates it.  
I'll think of it later…Then…"  
Back in the mirror, shattered vanity died.  
He looked himself, thoughtful, as he plotted the fairytale he had to tell to Sasuke.  
"Think, then…here comes, it's simple.  
I tell him that Itachi's coming and Kabuto's doll comes.  
So, Sissy will think it's easy to kill him – with a 'technique' I'll teach him _now_.  
A technique, see – that Itachi can't counter with his Doujutsu.  
I'll tell him that Itachi isn't skilled at all in –in –in…in what isn't he skilled?  
OR WELL, yes…KABUTO!"  
He ran out going to Kabuto's personal lab.  
The 'doll' was nearly ready.  
Orochimaru told Kabuto to _wound _it.  
He had thought of this: Sasuke would see Itachi, lethally wounded, coming to him – Itachi would say "I want to kill you before I die – I don't want to leave stones unturned".  
He, Orochimaru, would leave Sissy and Itachi alone, pretending to believe that Sissy would be able to kill him on his own.  
Sissy would easily kill this puppet-corpse (which wasn't the same as Sasori's corpse-puppets…) and be contented.  
Then he would not have a single reason to refuse reincarnation – Orochimaru thought that, at worst, he might have to keep Sasuke's conscience alive in his personal dimension.  
"Lucky of me, his conscience _isn't big at all_." He laughed.  
Kabuto wasn't glad of his request: he had just finished _creating _ a perfect, complete puppet – and now he had to taint it.  
Of course he did perfectly what Orochimaru had asked – if he's the boss, requests are orders.

Sasuke believed Orochimaru's words:  
"You're now clever enough to counter your brother.  
You don't need as much power as he, my dear.  
You've got intelligence" Kabuto bit his lips to repress a laughter "you should know.  
Now, I mean – there is only a technique I can teach you, by now.  
See it – this is made to counter _aaaany _doujutsu – apart yours, of course.  
There, there."  
The technique was a phony drama, of course.  
It was actually a process that would activate parts of Sasuke's brain – with no consequence at all, but he would believe to have impaired Itachi's mind.  
That was what mattered.  
Orochimaru called this technique "a curse", knowing well that Sasuke would have preferred to send his brother straight in hell.  
"The curse will be even clearer to him – or well, to the sanity side of his mind.  
He will understand that you've banished Mangenkyou out of it."  
Sasuke laughed.  
"Thought you had told me.  
Snakes will always retain their lavish tracts of paradise.  
Yes, snakes lose skin but not sin…"  
Orochimaru laughed coldly (a laugh that evidently meant 'I don't want to laugh'; but Sasuke didn't notice) and said:  
"Skin is the limit for _you_, my dear.  
You understand what I mean?"  
He looked him saying this.  
Sasuke shivered.  
There was a strange blink in his eyes – okay, Orochimaru had always looked at him as dead meat – but now, there was a strange, new blink – a VIOLENT blink.  
A dangerous blink.  
Sasuke tried to understand, watching Orochimaru's face.  
"Well, so, now we have only to wait until Itachi comes here" said he, gulping and becoming paler than normally.  
Orochimaru sneered licking his lips. "Yes…"  
He then paused, still watching Sasuke. "What's your age again?"  
"Sixteen…"  
"Shame. You should live some years more..."  
"… And why not?" said Sasuke gasping.  
"Well, now, now, there, my dear. You've been here all of this time for a reason, isn't it?  
You know. Now..."  
He patted and grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. The other instinctively twitched it back, then watched him murmuring:  
"Sorry…I..."  
Orochimaru didn't comment and grabbed it again, clutching it and griping his cheek – hissing:  
"You _better_ know, dear.  
As soon as you kill Itachi I'll take what's mine. Any problem?"  
"No…of course…" said Sasuke gulping again. "No-now I better go take a nap, yes?"  
"…nap?  
Don't you want to train? You always want to train.  
There, then: we must reach our compromises. Do you want me to keep your conscience still – huh – awake?  
As for your life, you must know – of course you'll die.  
Say, say, there, there…I didn't think of this.  
Wouldn't you like a body – huh – another body?  
I mean, it will not be good as yours.  
Now, I was thinking…after you kill Itachi, you won't _need_ ninja abilities anymore, isn't it?  
I still will need you.  
If you want – and if you know what I mean." He finished raising his brows and smiling.  
Sasuke shivered again.  
There _was_ something strange.  
Orochimaru went on, quiet enough:  
"See, I could give you a white-cell body – it's quite a pain in the ass to do but if it's useful _to ME_ I would..what do you think?"  
Sasuke said "I don't care what.  
C'mon, it will always mean _living_, isn't it? Of course I want to continue existing."  
"As soon as you accept it, you will also _like _it."  
Sasuke thought '_So: no=no?'  
_He was stupid, we know – but plain logic is the basic human ability.  
OR WELL: _recognition _of plain logic – which exists, as it has always done.  
He gasped and stepped back.

Orochimaru knitted brows, sighing:  
"My, my…you're always so – OH LOOK WHO'S COMING!"  
He couldn't help laughing – and pulling and pushing Sasuke, to turn around, face and go toward – ITACHI.  
Sasuke growled and screamed, running to him.  
The puppet feigned a reaction, watching Sasuke straight in the eyes.  
Sasuke fired back his 'Doujutsu' – feeling his own brain exploding – he yelled by pain, resisted and continued to attack.  
Itachi was still looking him, dumbly.  
Sasuke kicked his face, shouting insults – and unsheathed the sword.  
The puppet tried to step back – okay it hadn't got a brain but this is plain instinct – and Sasuke followed.  
He stabbed it, repetitively – then left it on the ground motionless.  
He walked 'til Orochimaru and sat down, panting.  
The other – who had laughed all the time seeing their 'fight' – was now completely silent.  
He watched Sasuke for minutes, without any expression – only those blinks in eyes, now and then.  
Sasuke raised his head to watch him and winced.  
Orochimaru's face changed – getting angrily serious.  
He put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, blocking him.  
"See, clear, yes.  
Kabuto, would you please bring _that thing_ in your – no, in MY laboratory, NOW?  
I'll work on it later."  
And so Kabuto did.  
Sasuke tried to stand up, justifying himself with a:  
"I'm really hungry. I have to eat. Isn't it time?"  
He tried even to fake a smile, but he wasn't as good as Orochimaru in pretending.  
Orochimaru pushed him down to sit again.  
Sasuke freed himself suddenly, jumping up and trying to put some distance between the two of them.  
"What the fuck do you think, you? I'm not here to play your-"  
Orochimaru had disappeared.  
And even Sasuke understood what this meant.

Kabuto overheard Sasuke screaming, while he sat beside his puppet, in the laboratory, trying to recuperate the possible to use it again.  
When he realized WHAT was happening in the next room he walked to the door and locked it.  
Then he sat down quietly working on his things.  
He didn't dare to put the nose out of his nest until Orochimaru himself went to call him.  
He punched the door, overbearingly screaming:  
"KABUTO!  
Come out, I've got another corpse for you!"  
Kabuto tiptoed to the door and opened it.  
Orochimaru had just come out the shower – he was half dressed and had a contented smile on his face.  
Kabuto, for a moment, feared about his intentions.  
Then he sighed, relieved, when the other left him with the puppet and went to sleep.  
'_Luckily I'm not that beautiful at all'_ thought Kabuto.  
He put Sasuke's corpse on another table, next to Itachi's puppet, and wondered – what had Orochimaru done to his conscience? Was it still alive?  
Might it be that – after having raped him so abruptly – Orochimaru still hoped to convert him?  
There was a chance – was Sasuke so docile to let Orochimaru convince him to willingly _accept_ a sexual relationship?  
Maybe he was docile enough.  
But he was too frail, psychologically – he wasn't able at all to recover from traumas.  
He had been abused – moreover, by _Orochimaru_.  
Weighting his pain and his strive to live – actually which commotion had to be counterbalanced?  
Kabuto went to sleep himself.  
He left Sasuke there, beside that false Itachi.  
There was nothing strange in it.


	3. Shat Out Of Hell

Shat out of hell

Kabuto had to wait four days to get an answer.  
He tried to stay as long as he could in his laboratory – pretending to do something on Sasuke.  
He hadn't the palest idea of grounds on which Orochimaru could base his temporary rejection to reincarnate in Sasuke.  
Kabuto had tried to take a look at Sasuke's state of health or something – anything that could justify Orochimaru's choice.

There was no reason to be found.  
The only thing Kabuto could do was _wait_ – Orochimaru was so scheming.  
He could come up with whatever kind of plan – that could be either convenient or inconvenient to Kabuto.  
Kabuto tried even to picture Orochimaru's current ideas.  
He had nearly convinced himself that Orochimaru had to wait for some reason – he had always thought Orochimaru's body _wasn't_ ready for reincarnation yet.  
Contented with his hypothesis, he got really puzzled by his master's (owner's) statement, on the fourth day:  
"Kabuto.  
Use that corpse to do whatever the fuck you want and spread to Akatsuki the news of Sasuke's death.  
I gathered enough information.  
Itachi is still surviving for Sasuke's sake.  
You may understand what I want to do – either if you do or don't, FOLLOW EXACTLY MY ORDERS."  
Kabuto said:  
"Yes, Orochimaru-Sama. I may study Sasuke's abilities – he was pretty skilled, I mean.  
You always considered him as a little genius-"  
"I considered him as the beta version of Itachi. His rough copy, to be clear.  
Sasuke's genes aren't absolutely in my interest now. You still don't get it?"  
Kabuto apologized.  
Approving his reaction – as Kabuto had incredibly foreseen – Orochimaru explained him:  
"Itachi will kill himself.  
That's to be taken for sure.  
I want HIS body.  
As for this little bitch – the less I see anything related to him, the better it is.  
Destroy his corpse and make out of it something useful to _me_.  
Maybe a way to get to Itachi…the fact is I need him alive, to reincarnate.  
We have to strictly follow his movements.  
I must stop him before he spoils his body like this.  
Kabuto, c'mon…you leave this evening.  
Try to contact those people you were seeing lately – who was it? Sasori? Well, well.  
He has only to make Itachi know that Sasuke is completely dead and gone, and tell him that I… GOT him, in that way, too.  
I want Itachi to come here and try to kill me, so – so, okay. Prepare."  
"Yes, Orochimaru-Sama."  
Kabuto prepared the few things he needed to bring with him.  
As he moved around in the laboratory, he thought of bringing _proofs_ to Itachi – that Sasuke was dead.  
And he also thought– you know, Kabuto was coward and bastard, okay, but he still had a heart somewhere – he thought about Sasuke's corpse's end.  
Wasn't it due – to bring it to Itachi – so that, at least, Sasuke could have a proper burial?  
Wasn't it due to let Itachi _have _at least _his brother's corpse_ – before dying?  
So Kabuto thought, and so Kabuto did.  
Orochimaru had explicitly asked him to _make Sasuke's corpse disappear_.  
And so Kabuto did.

He met Sasori, informed him and gave him Sasuke's body.  
Sasori went 'home', found there Tobi – Itachi was somewhere around with Kisame.  
Deidara was waiting for his peer and quarreling with Tobi, as usual.  
Sasori informed them all. As far as he knew, Itachi hated his brother – it was only normal to mock him for them.  
He threw Sasuke's corpse on the ground, but at the last covered it – he thought of asking Itachi about USING Sasuke to be one of his puppets.  
Deidara, secretly, hiding from Sasori (to not be pointed at as 'looser') restored the corpse's dignity, putting it on a table and covering it with his cloth.  
Tobi didn't say a word, but watched the corpse all the time.  
Itachi came back.  
He stopped seeing a body on a table – Deidara beside it, without the uniform.  
Itachi asked him, absently-minded: "What's up? Who's him? A sibling of yours? Didn't know you had one…"  
"It's that little shit of your brother, man.  
Dead."  
Sasori had talked. And laughed.  
"Orochimaru killed him and fucked him like a little bitch.  
Anyway, just to say, can I use it? I think-"  
Tobi had covered the hole in his mask and the head in his arm just a moment before Sasori's head exploded.  
Deidara was breathless.  
Kisame walked to Itachi and patted his shoulder, just saying "Dear God…"  
Itachi shivered, swore, spat, and cleared his throat while catching his breath – nearly choking.  
"Jesus – fuck off" he mumbled, sinking down on knees.  
He stayed there motionless – watching the ground, his hands spread on it right and left – hardly breathing.  
Then he howled – he woke up and staggered to the wall, where he vomited.  
Kisame went there without saying a word, grabbed his shoulders and – just –waited.  
Five minutes later Itachi grabbed his arm in reply – and followed him to Sasuke's body.  
He watched it – a dumb, wasted, thoughtless blink.

He didn't say a word – until he and Kisame had finished burying the body, in a nice spot near some waterfall, in some woods.  
Big Gingko Biloba trees surrounded and covered him from weather and enemies.  
Itachi turned to Kisame and said: "Hello, boy."  
Then walked slowly away – slowly but with a certain speed – _festina lente_, you know._ Eile mit Weile._  
Something thicker than despair runs upon the midnight air.

Kisame had understood, in some way. We don't know much about fishes' instinct – but his animal part probably told him _'that animal is going to die'_.  
Kisame left him there – he went back to his peers, in Akatsuki's hideout.  
He scarcely informed the others about Itachi's soon departure – he would probably be killed the same, having he killed Sasori.  
Only Deidara was actually interested in it.  
He was afraid that Itachi could do exactly what Kisame KNEW he would do. Kill himself.  
Kisame only hoped that, before, Itachi would screw the shit out Orochimaru.  
Thing that also Itachi had thought.  
He walked preparing a strategy, mentally.  
He decided things had to be done properly – Orochimaru _shouldn't _do a fucking thing like this again.  
Itachi suddenly realized that he _couldn't_ kill Orochimaru.  
He hadn't got the strength.  
Moreover – Orochimaru would surely come towards him.  
Itachi felt it – it was all _so strange. _That the body appeared there – he didn't even ask anyone about it.  
_Orochimaru _had _sent_ Sasuke's corpse to him.  
This was more than a menace.  
Itachi suddenly realized _what_ he actually had to do.  
He had to get away from Orochimaru, he had to hide and find SOMEONE to help him.  
Help him against Orochimaru. Could he count on Tobi again?  
After what they did – yes, and Itachi still could racket him in some way.  
Apparently, then, Tobi was worried about Itachi's health.  
Itachi thought that he would soon find him – he certainly was already following him.  
But then – they ABSOLUTELY needed someone else.  
Against Orochimaru. Someone – WHO?  
Who could actually do…okay, involving _him_ – surely it would be helpful! EVEN – it was impossible!

Jiraya had always chosen to AVOID Orochimaru – his worst nightmare, his worst guilt.  
Orochimaru was Jiraya's failure – as Jiraya thought.  
Of course he wasn't: Orochimaru was _Orochimaru's failure_.  
Quod erat demonstrandum.  
Jiraya would help Itachi, yes. But even Jiraya wasn't able to KILL Orochimaru.  
So the only possible thing was to attack Orochimaru and use their skills to SEAL or BLOCK him.  
Itachi went to Konoha.  
It was easy to reach Jiraya without being noticed – getting rid of Akatsuki's uniform and of his hair – cutting it at ground zero. He didn't even LOOK like himself.  
He also, of course, took off the headband – hiding it in some pocket.  
He found Jiraya.  
He had to work hard to be recognized – the Anbu mark, the scarred headband and a close inspection proved Jiraya _he_ _was him._  
HIM.  
Itachi didn't talk of anything else than "Sasuke's murder".  
He told Jiraya that he already had a companion – "Tobi" – and three was always better than two.

Jiraya accepted.  
But he interrogated Itachi so hard that eventually Itachi talked also of the rape.  
Jiraya, bewildered, had an outburst of anger – Orochimaru had come down to THIS level!  
He planned a certain malediction with Itachi.  
They would curse Orochimaru – in a way that would primarily act on a _certain_ part of his body.  
Impairing his possibility of being thus dangerous again.  
They left to his hideout – Itachi already knew everything about its location and defences; or well, Tobi knew.  
Walking there, Tobi managed to take so much information out of Jiraya that Itachi wondered about the latter's _real_ skills.  
Was this really one of the three Sannin?  
But then he understood – Jiraya was skilled and intelligent, but too much CONFIDENT.  
That was why he failed to correct Orochimaru – he didn't punish Orochimaru, he never scolded Orochimaru because he thought the other would _simply come back on the right path_.  
No one is so shameless to walk BACK on the right path, having willingly left it.  
Itachi KNEW Orochimaru would never do such a thing.  
However – better having defences than not – he listened to all their conversations, trying to infer from them a. Jiraya's information and b. Tobi's ways to drain it.  
They arrived by Orochimaru, finding him hidden and waiting for them.  
This was Itachi's pride: he changed direction all of a sudden and led the other two all the way round Orochimaru's hiding.  
It was a matter of predictable choices.  
Itachi would choose logically which way to walk; and logic is predictable.  
Orochimaru had computed the same data Itachi would compute – getting the same result.  
Orochimaru had understood that Itachi would come there that way.  
Luckily, Itachi had tried to prevent Orochimaru's moves the same – and in return dodged his goal, to take it aback.  
Orochimaru and Kabuto were next to each other, standing before the other three – watching them silently.  
Orochimaru giggled.  
Itachi went out of his head.  
He attacked him bare-handed, forcing his allies to attack – first Kabuto, to knock him out, as Jiraya did – and then Orochimaru altogether.  
This wasn't going as they had planned.  
Jiraya had to make a harsh malediction – hitting surgically the spot, however.  
Tobi had to rescue Itachi from Orochimaru's hands – apparently the bastard had studied his skills, getting info somewhere.  
Right in this fucking mess, Kabuto woke up.  
Orochimaru was just hissing "The smell of blood, the taste of prey – feel it, dear?" as Kabuto stood up and tried to fire Tobi off the battle.  
Itachi fired Amaterasu on Kabuto – Jiraya attacked Orochimaru – Kabuto took the flames and let them consume his clothes.  
He evidently was preparing something, trying to hide his hands.  
Orochimaru giggled – everyone else waited – Itachi laughed like a fool.  
He ended up howling, more than laughing – Jiraya sighed by pity looking him and prepared to receive Kabuto's whatever.  
The whatever came.  
The only one to say "Whew, cool this shit!" was the only one, of those three, that ACTUALLY survived.  
Tobi.  
Kabuto had simply opened a little box – and you would have seen, were you there, enormous flows of chakra slithering, on air, in it – Jiraya and Itachi's chakra.  
Tobi commented, sighing, when he had put a sufficient distance between him and them.  
Jiraya and Itachi were practically two bodies moving.  
Without chakra, without mind, without soul.  
What we actually call Zombies.  
Orochimaru laughed.  
"Kabuto.  
Bring this _thing_ down in your place and make sure that it stays alive" he said, pointing at Jiraya with his chin.  
"As for _you_" he continued looking Itachi "WELCOME HOME, darling."  
He licked Itachi's forehead and walked in his 'house', following Kabuto.


	4. Death Of Love

Death of love

In Konoha people began to worry about Jiraya's absence more than a week later.  
He had always gone wherever he wanted without saying a word – without warning nor news.  
The strange thing was that guy that quite anyone saw talking with him – Itachi hadn't worried at all about being seen, being he not in his personal appearance.  
Naruto thought a lot about it. He had practically never seen Itachi – how could he recognize him?  
It was Kakashi to get it, in the end.  
That signs under his eyes – of course…  
Then, Itachi had talked with Jiraya and then they both had left.  
So? What happened, in truth?  
They couldn't know.  
There wasn't a single chance in hell to know it, as long as things went on like this.  
Naruto blamed Tsunade.  
"You always let him go and do whatever he wants! Don't you have some kind of relationship with him?  
Is it possible you never know what he's down to-"  
"RELATIONSHIP?" sprang up violently Tsunade.  
"Hey, hey, CALM DOWN – I meant as – friendship!  
Like me and Sasuke, you know!"  
Kakashi cleared his throat saying "Ehr…" with a stupid, giggling smile.  
Naruto fired him a killer glance, gaping, and didn't say a thing to him, going on with Tsunade:  
"Of course I know he's not your husband!  
But you are the Hokage, you can't simply let him go wherever the fuck he wants!  
He's okay, I know he's not stupid nor helpless, but –"  
Kakashi interrupted him to say, calmly, as he was commenting:  
"And then, Itachi.  
This must never happen again, Tsunade…this is fault of – the previous administration, I know, and there must be a reason why Itachi's chakra isn't listed in the alarming ones.  
This has to be fixed now, you know what I mean.  
Entering Konoha's barrier that way, as the same Orochimaru did, without being noticed.  
Okay he isn't as dangerous as Orochimaru – he hasn't killed hundreds of people just to _study their _bodies" Naruto shivered "but Itachi still has slaughtered all the police clan – his family, I mean.  
Itachi and Orochimaru – and, I'm sorry, Sasuke – must be put on that list."  
"Why Sasuke…?" asked Naruto, puzzled.  
"Because" answered Kakashi "he's with Orochimaru now. Isn't it obvious?"  
Tsunade intervened:  
"Okay, okay, okay everything. Now don't be afraid about it, Naruto. The only thing we can do is waiting."  
"Still I think that you should-"  
"DON'T act like you could give me a remark, CHILD" said Tsunade angrily "He himself isn't a child no more, fuck it, I couldn't tell him '_boy don't get into trouble_!"  
Kakashi tried to calm her down by distraction:  
"Yeah, listen, Tsunade.  
All we know about Itachi is that we didn't even know he was still alive before this appearance of his?"  
"Exactly.  
I think Jiraya knew something – he's always around gathering information.  
As for what you said – I think Itachi AND Orochimaru weren't on the Nukenin-Alarm list because they were still both working for some Anbu kingpin, if not for the Anbus _per se_ – if not for that _motherfucking _Danzou."  
She paused looking Naruto. "I never said that, boy, 'sit clear?"  
"Of course, sir…" giggled Naruto, wondering about '_who the fuck was this Danzou and – ANBUS? Orochimaru was in Anbus?'_  
The conversation ended here, Tsunade licensed them all.

After three weeks they still didn't know a thing, nor about Itachi, nor about Jiraya.  
Naruto began to feel fear.  
This was too strange – c'mon, cross data: ITACHI, JIRAYA, gone somewhere WITH HIM.  
Orochimaru.  
Jiraya had told Naruto, during their two years journey, that Orochimaru was his teammate.  
Itachi wanted to go _against _Orochimaru?  
So – FUCK IT – Sasuke was involved.  
Naruto tried to convince Tsunade to send him, to look for Jiraya.  
Tsunade repeated continuously "No, no, no, no."  
Then she explained:  
"Naruto – you know who Itachi is, something's going wrong.  
Then there's also Orochimaru – I already wronged, in your opinion, in letting Jiraya go – WHEN I NEITHER KNEW HE WAS GOING!  
Wherever he's gone, he isn't come back yet.  
And still you have to comprehend the fact that Jiraya has always done it – even _with you_, even if you don't remember it.  
And first of all he's always done it with me.  
So no – you won't go.  
Besides, I need you here around – there's a certain place you must go with Kakashi and Sakura, then the other guy I have to introduce you NOW – come in, dear".  
A guy walked in – Naruto suddenly burst out laughing, pointing at his shirt.  
In fact it was rather odd – _girly_. It was so short that it left out his entire chest, from stomach to belly.  
The guy, though, smiled to him – "There is a reason why you laugh?" he said, still smiling. "I'm Sai".  
He lent his hand to Naruto to shake.  
Naruto grabbed it, silently. He still felt the impulse to laugh – but the guy was smiling with such a mild smile.  
A _white_ smile, was the definition Naruto felt like to give.  
He smiled him, too – then turning suddenly serious he added: "I'm Naruto, and change that shirt. You can't go around dressed like a girl."  
Sai laughed. "_Ookay_" he said "Okay. Shall I wear a shirt like yours?"  
Naruto giggled, patting his shoulder and saying: "Better a stretch sleeveless one, like Anbus. So you won't change much."  
Sai smiled again and agreed.  
Tsunade later told Kakashi that it was beautiful, that the two of them got well along so quickly.  
Kakashi knitted his eyebrows and exclaimed: "Strange! Really strange! I'd say this guy would get Naruto's goats."

"I think that guy won't come out virgin from Orochimaru's hands."  
This is what Sai said when told about Sasuke's situation (as far as Konoha knew).  
Naruto grew angry – slapped Sai and didn't say a word.  
Sai giggled. He had learnt it from him.  
He said, again: "Oh, my humble opinion, you know. No hard feelings…"  
Naruto smiled, though still angry with him, and answered:  
"Looks like I'll have to show you a time or another."  
Sai blushed and fired the slap back.  
Naruto burst out laughing.

The same day a blond guy with an Akatsuki uniform, torn asunder, entered the village and went straight to the first policeman he found.  
Escorted to the police station and interrogated, he stated as follows:  
"Something had gone wrong since the day that guy Tobi arrived.  
Then this thing of Sasuke.  
Then also Itachi – and that guy Tobi then going mad at us and trying to kill me and Kisame, shit.  
Sasori dead…then – you haven't actually known a thing yet, really?  
So am I the only one who knows it?" he giggled suddenly, leering the policemen.  
"_Well…_" he continued "What would Itachi do?  
Now, now – if _you grant me _ freedom and FIRST OF ALL SURVIVAL…I could even talk."  
He smiled, happily, in the detective's face.  
He pushed it nearer to Deidara's and grinned, hissing: "FIRST you talk, THEN I see."  
Deidara gulped.  
"Well. Or well. Sasuke is dead. Itachi too. Jiraya too. Orochimaru killed them.  
There's a brothel inside the Akastu-"  
"WHAT?"  
"A brothel inside the Akatsuki.  
A man of us, a guy of us – well it's little time he's with us.  
He decided to – take us over and – kind of – like – everyone's with him and – it came out – he said that HE – that HE had brought Itachi to Orochimaru so that he got killed AND – and _he _knew Sasuke was dead!  
And he wanted Itachi too – and he tried to kill ME and and and and Kisame's dead."  
He suddenly shut up and gazed the policeman with gaping eyes.  
The policeman looked him, bewildered, shocked – and ran out, to find – dear, dear – Naruto.  
The people around the ramen place saw him running in – Naruto running out screaming "KAKASHI!" – and Kakashi running to him, pale as a sheet, in total panic "What the fuck?"  
Naruto grabbed his collar, actually hanging from it, screaming in his face "SASUKE SASUKE SASUKE Sasuke Sasu-ke…" while he slowly lowered his head, to fall on his knees.  
Sai ran there and grabbed Naruto, lifting him up and embracing him.  
"Hush, hush, hush, HUSH, THE FUCK! Dafuck's happened? Dafuck? Naruto! What's up?"  
The other went on sobbing, grasping his shirt.  
The policeman went out of the ramen – he addressed Kakashi and watched Naruto and Sai, while he slowly computed and spelled his abridged report.  
To counterbalance his previous screams Naruto now moaned "Jiraya…"  
Kakashi sat down, when the report ended.  
He sighed.  
He looked the earth thinking and then looked the sky.  
"Whew. Three in one."  
He slowly moved the eyes from the sky to Naruto and syllabified:  
"Naruto. Let's go delete that bastard - Orochimaru."  
As reply, Naruto growled.  
Orochimaru's name – too much a blasphemy.  
Then he abruptly stood up – watched Kakashi and snarled: "THAT SUCKER!"  
Sai laughed heartily.  
"Then" he said "Then, there, let's go. Pick up Sakura and we go."  
Naruto didn't even think of the pun.  
He grabbed Sai's arm, lugging him, and Kakashi followed.  
The policeman didn't know what to do and then he suddenly thought that the Hokage hadn't been informed yet.  
He called Kakashi – they went there, sending Naruto – WITH SAI – to get Sakura.

With Sai – no one would leave Naruto alone now.  
He was hardly able to stand up – he leant on Sai, who bore the load and brought him on.  
He often watched his face – looking for his eyes. Naruto held them down, looking the ground and not seeing it.  
He was thinking. Or well, he was trying to think. He couldn't.  
This was TOO FUCKING MUCH.  
This was really too FUCKING much – this wasn't COMPREHENSIBLE.  
Sasuke, Sasuke, _his _Sasuke.  
JIRAYA JIRAYA JIRAYA – Jiraya was DEAD, DEAD and it had also been Orochimaru to kill him!  
Jiraya was dead – Sasuke was dead.  
Naruto suddenly felt the Kyuubi revolting inside him.  
Sai saw him change face all of a sudden – that angry, aggressive, violent expression – Naruto actually growled without speaking.  
Sai was there to ask him "What's up?" when Naruto burst out "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"  
The Kyuubi had tried to exploit his anger.  
The Kyuubi wanted to KILL – Naruto's anger had brought him to the edge, the edge of resistance.  
The Kyuubi was a Demon and hated humans and LOVE and such things – shitty things.  
The Kyuubi thought it was time to KILL again – to swallow up souls and blood again.  
To destroy, to see again _those little helpless humans_ shake and scream in the flow of his violence.  
The Kyuubi _liked_ this – as we like sex.  
Abstinence was feeding him up – abstinence was getting his goats.  
He literally wanted to burst OUT – his own might, his violence.  
The Kyuubi was longing for PAIN – for DEATH – for WASTE.  
He told Naruto "Fuck it, get there and slay Orochimaru" "FUCK IT, go there and SPILL THE SHIT of that fucker".  
Told Naruto "GET THERE & LET ME GET HIM".  
Told Naruto "You sucker WANT to kill him. Go there and rip him off as dead meat!".  
Naruto said "No."  
The Kyuubi said "Listen to me."  
Naruto said "No."  
The Kyuubi said "HEAR ME OUT NOW, sucker human. LET ME KILL. I WANT" "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"  
Such violence on a human's side – the Kyuubi felt BLOOD'S TASTE in his mouth.  
He laughed beastly.  
"You're such a little cunt. Just like him – you humans always play the _bitches_!"  
Naruto howled "NEVER TO SPIT A WORD AGAIN!" and closed the gate on Kyuubi's muzzle - deciding that he would NEVER open it again.  
He then spat, physically, on ground and held tighter Sai's shoulder.  
The other sighed looking him and then, instinctively, kissed his forehead.  
Naruto raised his face, looked him and whispered: "Let's go to find Sakura. You'll COME WITH ME, there, won't you?"  
Sai laughed without saying a word and kissed him on the forehead again, pulling off his headband.  
"You should wear it here, like Hinata" he said, moving it on Naruto's neck.  
"Now, let's really go to find Sakura."  
When they told her everything, she looked like she was dead.  
She didn't say a thing for such a long time.  
She simply stared the sky breathing, as she was trying to catch her breath.  
She agreed to leave and kill that half human as soon as they could – Naruto and say brought her home.  
Sai brought Naruto home and went to take a bath.  
Naruto sat down on the ground, in his _empty_ house, to watch his _empty_ heart, to feel and hear his _empty_ brain.  
Naruto sat down on the ground to try to _cope_ with this shit.  
Naruto sat down on the ground and tried to write imaginary letters to an imaginary Sasuke.  
Naruto found it hard to do.  
Naruto found it impossible to do.  
Naruto sprang up and went to Sai's house.  
Naruto thought that he could only _distract himself_ – if as soon as he got angry THE KYUUBI WOULD WAKE UP, the INNER DEMON.  
The inner demon that wakes up only with anger.  
The inner demon that will EAT YOU FROM THE INSIDE if you let yourself feel PAIN spilled into ANGER.  
The INNER DEMON that will carve your conscience.  
The INNER DEMON that will gnaw your soul and feelings – leaving you a wasteland, and PERFECTLY SANE.  
The INNER DEMON – the toilet of the mind.  
Mind's menses, the INNER DEMON.  
Naruto went to Sai's home, knocked at the door, found it open, got in, found Sai and threw him on the  
ground.  
The day after, it was a grey cold dusty misty dawn – Naruto stood in the doorway, bare chested, leaning against the jamb and slowly smoking.  
Yeah, smoking. You know, habits are gained and left, as ground.  
Sai walked to him silently, leant against the jamb behind him and leant the head on his shoulder.  
Naruto grabbed it, still silent, with the hand holding the cigarette – the other arm passed round Sai's waist.  
Sai hid the face in his skin.  
Naruto managed to show him to be calm – the demon, inside, was tearing his resistance apart.  
Naruto watched the dawn and looked for words to define it.  
As they came: '_A tragic serenade with Judas in my stride..._'


	5. Honey And Sulphur

Honey & sulphur

They then went back inside, to dress on and prepare to leave the village.  
Kakashi hadn't the heart to say a thing to Naruto – he wouldn't listen, however.  
He was always looking Sai, talking with Sai, walking beside Sai.  
Then when they had to walk on a bridge – those Tibet-like bridges one-person-a-time – Naruto blocked  
Sakura to let Sai go first.  
Then he left Sakura there without speaking, hastily following Sai.  
Then when Sai was cold – because he was always wearing only his shirt – and Sakura was cold – for the same reason – Naruto lent his sweatshirt to Sai, and didn't even apologise to Sakura.  
Then when they had to sit down to eat, Naruto ONLY thought of Sai – laying _his own headband_ unfolded and spread _on the ground_, so that Sai _sat on it_.  
Then Naruto sat leaning his back against a tree, behind Sai, and made him lean on himself, both of them facing and watching the sky.  
Sai's head rested on the Kyuubi's seal. He felt it warm.  
"How's it with him? How is it going?"  
Naruto answered, tenderly considerate: "No, it's all going pretty good. I only had to shut him up in the first place – when I'll cope with the anger he'll let me in peace".  
Kakashi wanted to say something – but stopped and had to gulp and catch his breath seeing SAI TURNING HIS HEAD TO KISS THE OTHER'S SHIRT over the seal.  
Naruto smiled and grabbed Sai's face – laughing.  
Kakashi was shocked.  
NARUTO?  
Sakura was even more shocked – _upset_, more than shocked. She got angry.  
Sai turned again to watch Naruto's face and said, a voice like an annoyed child speaking to his mom:  
"When you need help to calm him tell me. I'll do what I can, maybe I'm useless.  
But" he rose a bit toward him, pointing hands on the ground "I think that more than calming the Kyuubi I may be useful in calming _you._"  
Kakashi held the mouth open, eyes gaping, breathless and wordless. Sakura tried hard to avoid laughing – his face was _incredible_.  
Kakashi didn't know what to choose – to be HAPPY – SAD – MOVED by his pupil's conquest – SICK – or...or...  
Look at _those two._ And the _things _they went on saying to each other!  
"I'm quite – pretty sure _you can_, Sai..." said Naruto right then, laughing.  
Kakashi sprang up and tried to concentrate on the plan – THEIR PLAN to kill Orochimaru.  
Naruto, instead, suddenly felt the Kyuubi gnashing teeth.  
The truth was that Sai annoyed the Kyuubi.  
The truth was that Sai was a pain in the back for him.  
The truth was that Sai CALMED Naruto.  
And the Kyuubi didn't like it.  
He paced his tower prison with a dissonant appetite raging in his throat.  
"I WANT TO KILL, but I don't want to KILL this Jinchuuriki.  
When he gets ANGRY – he's such a beautiful FIRE. He FUELS my anger. He's with ME – since birth.  
C'mon HATE, Jinchuuriki, HATE! Love's gone!  
GONE!"  
Naruto laughed spitefully, pitiful, sighing.  
As an old man.  
'_I perfectly KNOW that love is gone, you bitch'_ ('fox' had become 'bitch' though Kurama was male) _'I'm not LOVING him.  
It's just sex and collaboration to pass the time. Sex and benefit, they call it?'_  
The Kyuubi laughed.  
"You can try as hard as you want – I'll always STAMP Sasuke on his forehead so YOU'LL think of him.  
Lucky of me, he has died...and lucky of me, THEY'RE SIMILAR"  
Naruto startled and watch Sai, suddenly terrorized.  
Sai fired the glance back, mouth open as to say '_what's up?'_  
Naruto said: "Can you perform physical transformation, Sai?"  
"But of course I can...anyone in the Anbus can-"  
"SO, make your hair grow. Do you want them _black_? Red or blond or brown wouldn't be better?"  
Sai laughed lightly, trying to understand.  
"Let me time to try it...how's this?"  
Sakura's pink – Naruto laughed.  
"No, no, something like – yeah – like...like...that red – a bit lighter than Chouji's hair...no not that FUCHSIA –  
maybe...oh, what about a water green?"  
"A green blue you mean? Naah. What about a purple?"  
"VIOLET! That would be wonderful! And the eyes – c'mon! Gold eyes..."  
And so Sai did.  
Naruto changed idea again:  
"No, no, no, blue eyes...deep blue eyes...or even the eyes, purple?"  
Sai tried them both.  
"NO I GOT IT." Said Naruto breathless. "I GOT IT. GREY. Grey eyes and PURPLE hair. That's it!"  
That was it.  
Sai was wonderful – Kakashi couldn't believe what he saw.  
Sakura blushed when Naruto grabbed Sai's head with both hands, pulled it to himself and kissed him.  
Kakashi coughed in total panic – what _do you do_ in situations like this?  
He tried to find a subject of conversation with Sakura – actually Sasuke WASN'T a good one.  
He looked at her for some minutes, suddenly realizing that he didn't know A THING about her.  
"Kakashi, but you and Tsunade aren't together?" asked she suddenly.  
Naruto and Sai stopped kissing to look at him, smiling and puzzled.  
"Wait wait wait NO NO NO and don't go around saying this things – if SHE knows it she will simply kill me  
and then I DO have someone and SHE is killing me too, so NO I won't tell you _okay it's ANKO_."  
"Ooh...HOW CUUUUTE!" said Naruto and Sai in unison.  
Kakashi made a displeased face and said "Well...now you eventually know something about me..." coughing.  
Naruto sprang up screaming "ARGH!"

Sai fell down off him, hit the ground and sprang up himself, grabbing his head and stuttering:  
"Wha-wha-WHAT'S UP?"  
Naruto didn't answer. He was, again, looking down without _seeing a thing_.  
He was talking with the Kyuubi, inside.  
He made an angry expression – a _menacing_ expression – showing teeth, raising lips like a dog – snarling.  
The Kyuubi had insulted him again.  
The Kyuubi had broken out of his gate and seal, had run to him and bitten his neck.

Naruto screamed at him "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT AGAIN? LET ME BE!"  
The Kyuubi growled.  
"That BITCH DOLL – you're giving all UP FOR HIM?  
Could I say – I HONESTLY HOPE you get raped as that cunt of your friend there, SUCKER – you're MAKING ME ASHAMED OF BEING INSIDE YOU!  
Stop PLAYING THE BITCH, you CUNT SUCKER FAGGOT!  
You can – what are you trying to do now?  
That fucking SEAL again?  
THINK THAT YOUR SEAL CAN STOP ME?  
This needs an Uchiha SUCKER like your SASUCKER – you mean to overpower and bedizen me?  
WHAT ABOUT A BIT OF THIS JINCHUURIKI?"  
Saying this last sentence he screwed his eyes and his iris changed.  
That was something like the Tsukuyomi we know – but the moon was black, not bloody.  
Naruto simply didn't SEE nor FEEL a thing – just a chilling FEAR in the mind, a cold HUG.  
A freezing breath in his mind – TOTAL FEAR – fear and pain and desperation – HOPELESSNESS and COLD.  
"What the hell is this? KYUUBI! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"  
As reply the demon bit him again, still on the neck.  
Only in that moment Naruto saw his face – completely different from the one he wore the previous day.  
Evil, utter and plain evil.  
Then the demon suddenly set him free.  
"Have you seen, now? GOT IT, NOW?"  
Naruto shut up but nodded, gulping.  
"Hey, wait, listen to me – Kyuubi. Just – let me be in peace, right? A little bit of time!"  
The Kyuubi laughed lightly.  
"You perfectly know that I perfectly know that I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT WITH AND ON YOU, fucking Jinchuuriki.  
And douse my conscience when you suck that faggot's dick."  
Naruto punched the muzzle. "_It hasn't actually happened!" _  
The Kyuubi laughed.  
Naruto pushed him back behind the gate.  
He woke up and watched Sai, the turned to Kakashi and stated:  
"Ultimately – I have to tame the Kyuubi again."  
"He's quite determined to play the parasite, isn't it?" said Sai.  
Naruto mumbled "If you only knew what he said about you..."  
Sai grinned. "I can picture it..." he said, spitefully.  
Then he grabbed Naruto's shoulders and led him to sit down again, sitting himself before him.  
Kakashi looked them, thoughtful, and then said:  
"Well, we have to go. It's already late.  
I wonder what we can actually do with the Kyuubi..."  
Someone murmured, behind them:  
"You should prepare to do _without_ the Kyuubi".  
Kakashi, Sai, Sakura and Naruto turned immediately and saw this man – wearing a plain black cloth with a hood.  
"WHAT? What do you want by me?" asked Naruto angrily.  
"Yeah, look at the cuties there..." the man laughed, mocking.  
He kept his head lowered, they couldn't see his face – but Naruto felt a glance, piercing as a kunai, in his mind – he even FELT the Kyuubi SHIVER.  
'_Who is this?'_  
"Hello, Jinchuuriki. How is it going without your mates?" said the man.  
Kakashi turned suddenly angry – without knowing WHY.

That guy here.  
That guy.  
Something, his voice, his CHAKRA, his _smell_ – something in Kakashi's mind was strangely working, before this guy.  
And in Naruto's mind too – the Kyuubi was LAUGHING.  
Naruto concentrated on him and _felt_ – more than heard – the man's words to the Kyuubi:  
"Hello, darling.  
Long time no see.  
Have you heard your Jinchuuriki awakening his hate?  
That's a dream of ours, wasn't it?  
You waited all that time for _his_ _mother_ to do this" Naruto knelt down "and she's never lost her mind, even in childbirth – when _I SET YOU FREE_.  
You recognized me, didn't you?  
I want you to come with me again.  
You'll MET THE OTHER DEMONS, dear.  
I'm collecting you all.  
Kurama.  
Come with me.  
This guy here – he neither knows your NAME".

Naruto gasped holding his heart with the right hand and Sai's hand with the left one.  
Sai panicked, trying to make him talk.  
Kakashi looked the man and didn't say a word.  
The man talked physically:  
"As for your 'father' then – apart from the fact that I KNEW your father – uhm, well, I actually killed him – and your Jiraya, then...what a shit of a master.  
_You should have been trained by me_. Jiraya wasn't a skilful ninja. A VERY SKILFUL NINJA NEVER DIES."  
No one talked for some minutes.  
Then Naruto thought – he followed instinct – "YOU WERE to kill Jiraya?"  
"...Orochimaru killed him.  
_I brought them to Orochimaru_.  
What's your problem?  
I wanted them to die.  
I needed it."  
He sneered.  
Naruto: "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"  
"What I want will want me and come to me.  
Don't worry about it.  
_Akatsuki will know about your cutie, _Jinchuuriki.  
Good luck..." he sneered again and disappeared.  
Kakashi shivered "Was that a menace?"  
Naruto growled, angry.  
"I'd rather like you to stop acting like the Kyuubi, Naruto. It's just like being with him." said Sai.  
Naruto's face suddenly changed into a lamb expression while he said:  
"OF COURSE, seriously. Then, oh Sai! You got to beware those men! KAKASHI! Isn't it better if he goes back home"  
"NO YOU TWO GO FUCKING IMMEDIATELY BACK HOME AND DON'T EVEN TRY TO PUT A FOOT OUT OF KONOHA DID YOU HEAR ME?"  
Naruto watched him wordless. Kakashi had ROARED.  
Kakashi had perfectly understood what that man meant.  
"Go to Konoha and SEND ME someone and ASK THAT BLOND GUY about this shit – tell Tsunade."  
Yeah tell Tsunade.  
He, Kakashi, had done so – they had left with her permission.  
She herself got out of her head when she knew of Jiraya – she would have come there to kill Orochimaru  
herself, weren't she the Hokage.  
Kakashi thought that against Orochimaru _little_ could be helpful – if even Jiraya...

What could they do?  
If even the Hokage Sarutobi had been killed, in that absurd trial – of Orochimaru – to take the Kyuubi, two years before...when he in the end recruited Sasuke in his '_next bodies' _list.  
The thing Kakashi couldn't understand was this: _what the fuck was 'Akatsuki'? _  
Itachi, that man, Deidara – Akatsuki.  
Kakashi reflected.  
They didn't know a thing about Itachi's life, after he left Konoha.  
They NEVER saw him again after that.  
Naruto had fought against Orochimaru that time – they thought that _only_ Orochimaru wanted the demon.

Kakashi realized that – they had an incredible weapon still on their hand.  
They had all thought that the Kyuubi wouldn't be used as a weapon, now that _those wars_ had ended.

Konoha remembered well the time that the young Hokage had been killed – Konoha surely wouldn't do such shit.  
Everyone of course remembered the demons' pre-eminence among weapons of war – but NO ONE in Konoha wanted to use them again.  
But some other country – _countries_? How could you tell _there was a country_ behind this bunch of shit the Akatsuki was? C'mon, it was unbelievable.  
He in the end decided that it was better, for them all, to go back home.  
Kakashi went on reasoning and mumbling while he walked.  
"Naruto" he said then "is the Kyuubi harassing you again?"  
"Yep. He continuously repeats me those things that man said about Sai. There may be a chance that the demon is trying to make me go angry again. Still I can't understand..."  
_'Think of this, Kakashi, it could be even obvious._  
_That man is trying to instil hate also in Naruto's heart – the demon has to think of him as an ally, or at least to accept being inside him._  
_Why that? This may mean that this man hadn't another "container" for the demon._  
_He needs Naruto to host him.  
This actually means that we got at least a bit of time – and, FIRST OF ALL, that he wasn't speaking seriously  
about THAT "CUTIE" THING.  
It was really nauseous...'  
_Kakashi said aloud: "I think the only thing we can do now is make sure that the demon stays at home."_  
_Naruto nodded.  
"Understood – I can't leave Konoha, right?  
So he can't the same, with me.  
You'll have to eventually share teams with Guy..." he laughed._  
_"You're right...we could merge Team Guy, Team Asuma and Team Kurenai with Sakura.  
WOW! Let's think.  
Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Lee, Neji, Shino, Tenten, Hinata, Kiba, Sakura. How can we ship them?"_  
_Thinking of this, Kakashi stopped worrying about the Kyuubi._  
_Naruto didn't._  
_He didn't say a word until Kakashi and Sakura, arrived in Konoha, left him and Sai in Naruto's street, right before his door._  
_Kakashi, instead, had continued the entire journey to exclaim:  
"Yeah!  
Kiba is worth two, with Akamaru!  
Yeah – Kiba and Chouji!  
Yeah – Neji alone with Lee is enough.  
Then – Ino and Sakura! TOGETHER! Wonderful.

Shikamaru can work alone with Tenten.  
And Hinata goes with the girls. RIGHT!"

Sai commented his choices, Sakura complained about her new team.  
She hated Ino – or well, she was not sure. It was all a Sasuke-related thing.  
Moreover... now that even Naruto was – _off service_ – she turned to Kakashi and asked him:  
"Couldn't you change me with Tenten?"  
Kakashi mumbled, then said: "Alright..."  
Naruto didn't spit a word all the time.

Only when he was safe and alone in his house, 'cus he had sent Sai home "at least half an hour – I don't want you to be involved in this war of mine", did Naruto face the Kyuubi.  
He was still laughing at him – "two little sluts" – "_CUTIES" – _"cunt of a Jinchuuriki" – he went on until Naruto gave him attention.  
Then he said, suddenly calm:  
"That man wasn't joking, _faggot_.  
There are people in the Akatsuki who would really like _such an entertainment.  
_If YOU DON'T COME WITH ME – and still you won't get it – IT'S ONLY HATE, JINCHUURIKI!  
You'll kill that slaughterer of Orochimaru! You'll AVENGE Sasucker!  
I won't drag you into a hecatomb, Naruto.  
I ASSURE YOU I won't use you this way.  
I only want to kill someone...let me vent out!"  
"Kyuubi, I'm not born to kill people.  
You did enough last time.  
I'M NOT SO STUPID!  
I should follow your advices AND THEN you'll surely fuck me in some way!  
STOP HARASSING ME! What the fuck do I have to do to make LET ME BE IN PEACE?  
Fuck you!"  
No answer.  
Why?  
Naruto fucked off the Kyuubi, and subsequently the latter turned his back to him and faced away.  
Naruto laughed, happily.  
"Eventually.  
Can't you see you don't need to hate, you idiot?  
Anyone else got it. I got it.  
You're free to be loved AND YOU'D KILL TO BE HATED!  
You're incredible.  
I see _you're a beast_..."  
As a reply the Kyuubi decided to BE HATED AGAIN ACTUALLY.  
This could only mean – _refuse_ this Jinchuuriki.  
But of course demons can't break out their Jinchuuriki by themselves.  
The Kyuubi needed THAT MAN.  
'_And this fucker isn't leaving the place even for an eyeblink now.  
I HAVE TO WAIT.  
How I fucking HATE THIS...'_


	6. Hysteron Proterus

Hysteron proterus

Naruto tried to stay with Sai as long and often as he could, those days.  
The Kyuubi continued harassing him, continued to ask, to say, to scream, to growl, to menace, to insult – Sai, Sasuke, Naruto, Jiraya, Kakashi...  
As long as Naruto was doing something – listening to someone or keeping himself busy with Sai – he could avoid giving attention to the demon.  
The problems came when he was alone – when he had nothing to think about, to concentrate on.  
The Kyuubi broke out as violently as the first time, put Naruto under his strange Tsukuyomi - _Getsuga Tensho_, he called it – and the latter could only WAIT, WAIT, wait and endure.  
Luckily he had many a thing to think about – first of all protecting Sai.  
Secondly, the blond guy from Akatsuki had reported anything he knew to the Hokage – as Naruto was involved, Tsunade involved him.  
Governing Konoha for her was getting the more and more difficult, now that all this shit was happening.  
Not that it had been easy in the beginning – replacing the old Third hadn't been easy, nor rewriting half of Konoha's military dispositions (such as army ranking, patrol turns, alliances).  
The helter skelter Orochimaru had done that time, years before, had sprung leaks and cracks that still had to be mended.  
Of these the most important one was that with the Sand Village.  
Orochimaru had killed their Kage and okay, this wasn't Konoha's fault.  
Orochimaru had attacked Konoha in full Chuunin exam, and yes, this WAS Konoha's fault.  
No one had stopped him, no one had been able to do it – but neither had they put some alarm devices to PREVENT Orochimaru come into Konoha.  
Then Orochimaru had killed many people that time – Konoha's ninjas and their own Hokage, and this still wasn't Konoha's fault.  
Orochimaru had deviated Sasuke, and this, even if it actually WAS Konoha's fault, didn't involve the Sand.  
What involved the Sand was the killing of many of their ninjas – including the brothers of the newly-appointed Hokage, Gaara.  
Gaara had gained his seat promising, in fact, complete hostility to Konoha.  
As the people soon and often loses its memory, as we all know, Konoha had been then accused of being "responsible of Orochimaru's crimes" having "let him grow to criminal and Nukenin without the smallest interest in killing him".  
No one seemed to remember that the first victim of Orochimaru was actually Konoha.  
No one seemed to have noticed that Konoha, in all that brothel, managed to PREVENT Orochimaru from taking the Kyuubi.  
Sasuke wasn't a matter of discussion – everyone knew that Orochimaru had taken him in only in replacement of his choice spirit, Itachi.  
Tsunade couldn't help thinking that she and Jiraya had trusted Orochimaru too much, far beyond the line.  
They saw him becoming evil, they had turned their backs to him until the very end – until they had discovered his slaughters and experiments and he had fled from Konoha – and capital judgement.  
Orochimaru was then, really, a failure of her, Jiraya and the whole Konoha?  
Then she knew all about that _Akatsuki_ – and realized that Konoha's failures were TWO, at least.

Orochimaru and ITACHI.  
The blond guy, Deidara, told her about the Akatsuki, all he knew: that they had to collect demons, that the head, apparently, was that Sasori whom Itachi killed, that Itachi had surely gone killing himself – but Kisame, in the last quarrel with the _others_, who then killed him, had said "I am pretty sure that Itachi's gone to kill Orochimaru."  
So, all Akatsuki knew that Itachi had been killed by Orochimaru – the question was whether _also Orochimaru_ was dead.  
Tsunade assured him of the contrary. No, Orochimaru was alive.  
"Then I know what he's done with Itachi's body..."  
Tsunade gulped.  
"Go on about the Akatsuki."  
"Then, everyone said we were nine, but until that guy Tobi arrived we were only six, as far as I knew.

There were Itachi, Kisame, Sasori from the Sand, Hidan and Kakuzu who are still alive, and I.  
Then arrived Tobi and I once saw him talking with a strange being – something between a plant and a human, _I'm not joking_" said he seeing Tsunade laughing "he was all black and white and then disappeared melting into the ground.  
No – SIR, i'm not joking. No, sir, I don't drink alcohol. _No, SIR, I swear you-_"  
"I can only believe you as for now... then?"  
"I said that as far as I knew Sasori commanded the Akatsuki – but I noticed he appeared to receive orders from somewhere else.  
I don't know where – I thought it was actually a nation, trying to get all the demons to use them.  
I still don't know.  
Then, when we noticed that Itachi was dead – Kisame felt it, you know – we had to wait a week to have clear information.  
That _fucking clear information_ was Orochimaru that came to us to "have a talk with that Tobi guy of yours".  
Tobi refused to see him, and didn't let him in.  
I hadn't understand _he was him_ – I thought it was THE FUCK I KNOW! Had I known that shit was alive and – ITACHI!  
Now I understand why he came. To _show us_ Itachi's body!  
Shit! I always HATED that guy.  
Then Tobi said something about "at least he" he Itachi "is useful in some way".  
Kisame went angry and suddenly Hidan and Kakuzu went on Tobi's side, leaving me and Kisame on the other – the quarrel grew to violence in some way, I don't remember.  
Kisame was killed and I escaped them and went here.  
I remembered Itachi was from here and I thought you were the only ones who could help me.  
I don't give a fuck about the Akatsuki.  
I do only want to do something – about – about Itachi's death. I want...oh, shit.  
Then – YES – that's important – they want to take the Kyuubi NOW.  
They're already trying to, I'm sure.  
They will step into Konoha, surely – that black and white _thing_ can reach any place freely.  
That Jinchuuriki of yours...I'd put him under guard."  
"Thank you.  
There he is, however, behind you."  
Deidara turned and saw Naruto gazing at him.  
He smiled to him and turned again to Tsunade.  
"Then, I just wanted to ask you – can I stay in jail, again? That's the safer place...  
I don't say he" pointing at Naruto "should stay there too, not that it is a bad jail, but it is a jail, still.

I'd rather stay there..." he ended smiling to Tsunade, from one ear to the other.  
Tsunade laughed.  
"You're the first one ever to ask such a thing...of course you can. Go and send me him"  
"Yes, sir!"  
Naruto came in and sat down. "You heard?" asked Tsunade.  
"Yeah, I heard, and this is really such a big brothel.  
Granny, me and Kakashi – we had thought of, huh...if I wear something else than the uniform and change in some way my appearance, he said. This means?"  
"Wear a normal outfit and not that sweater with those marks. The hair, then. Follow Itachi's clue – shave."  
"WHAT?"  
"Hahahahahha! Just joking.  
Longer? Naa. This I don't know, it's you men's business.  
The clothes, too – I don't think" she said, giggling "that you'd like mines..."  
Naruto laughed lightly. "Okay, okay. I'll go home and see what I got.  
I'll ask Sai for the hair."  
"Oh, not PURPLE, Naruto! I saw him yesterday and it's the _gayest thing_"  
"I know, I know.  
_I_ told him so..." said Naruto, smiling and going out the room.  
Tsunade sprang up and screamed behind him:

"YOU'RE TOGETHER?"  
"...well, no...it's just a... _friend and benefit_, it's called?"  
Tsunade didn't find words nor breath to reply. Naruto went away and she fell on the chair laughing like an  
idiot.

Then she had to call him back, later – they forgot to talk about the _guard_ thing.  
SAI AND Naruto had to be protected.  
Tsunade thought seriously of the jail. It WAS a good idea – no one would go in search of the precious state Jinchuuriki THERE.  
As all apartments on ground floor, Naruto's house wasn't safe at all.  
She also called Kakashi, who arrived first.  
"When have you stopped being late?"  
"When I stopped going out drinking with Guy...he's got some girlfriend, now. Thought I don't know who she is..."  
"Weren't you around with Anko?"  
"HOW COME YOU KNOW – alright NARUTO told ya!"  
"Of course. He's a loyal grandson!  
Now, Kakashi. Go to Naruto's house, while he is here – he will be here soon – and spread defensive devices around it. Anything comes to your mind, do it.  
And provide him a new sweater...without marks nor symbols nor anything. The more civilian it looks, the better it is.  
Go, now, he's coming".

Kakashi stood up and opened the door to Naruto, who came in with WHAAAAAAAAAT? Orange hair?  
"ORANGE?" exclaimed Tsunade.  
"YES! He says I'm cool!"  
"Orange and purple...the Halloween party couple..." said Tsunade laughing to tears.  
Kakashi laughed walking away.  
Naruto's door's slot was so easy to open that even Akamaru could come in by itself.  
Kakashi decided to ask a friend of his - this had to be changed, and he, Kakashi would do it – but the door  
itself had to be strengthened, and the wood master here was his former colleague Tenzou.  
He looked breathless around the room.  
A total mess. There was so much rubbish spread all around that Kakashi doubted of Naruto's nervous health.  
He saw – A PUPPET? HIS PUPPET? It looked like a scarecrow – it even had the mask and the headband on the eye..._how tender, Naruto_.  
It was all mended with Sellotape – Naruto surely had battered him to death more than a time.  
'_No hard feelings, Kakashi, it was only for training...'_ he laughed to himself.  
Then he thought of the sweater – he opened the wardrobe and found nothing but T-shirts.  
He left after having, as Tsunade ordered, covered any infinitesimally sensible spot with alarms, tricks and "defensive devices".  
'_I wonder if this play-on-words obsession came to the three Sannins altogether during the war or as a mental impairment after it...'  
_He met Naruto in the street, with Sai.  
Naruto informed him about Tsunade's late decision: Sai would live with him, he, Kakashi, wouldn't leave Konoha the same and would move to live in the empty house near Naruto's.  
Kakashi instead listed him all the tricks he had placed – Naruto was terrorized:  
"I'll _never_ remember it, I'll NEVER remember it...I'll mess it all up!" he laughed.  
Sai quieted him: "I will remember, I will..."  
Kakashi laughed. He went past Naruto, turned back to tell him something more – and –  
Naruto and Sai were disappeared.

He ran through the village – trying to comprehend – to _clear_-_minded _CALCULATE.  
_Where the fuck?  
_He ran gasping, thoughts raging in his mind – his hypothesis were clouded by self-insults about his ignorance, his stupidity – his uselessness – his indefensible self-confidence – his distraction._  
_He didn't even hear! This led him to think – am I aging, am I spoiling as a ninja – _am I able_ to protect Naruto?_  
_Work hard. Work hard to cancel these things and concentrate._  
_Concentrate on analysis._  
_Concentrate on analysis. Narrow down. Exclude._  
This – he didn't hear._ No sounds._  
_AKATSUKI._  
_Why this assumption? NO SOUNDS._  
_That masked guy – the last time – no sounds._  
_Suddenly appearing with _no sounds_._  
_It's him – he's got them!_  
Had to kill him last time_. _  
_Kakashi ran down the roads in a straight line – what has been called 'following his feet'._  
I fucking hell had to kill him the shit of last time!  
_He passed in front of the ramen place, lanterns were hung on its front as every fucking day – they were_ alight_._  
_Kakashi noticed it a fraction of second _later than usual_ – than he usually do._  
_Sharingan and adrenaline yield this computational self-analysis in serious danger/hate-fear-pain/shock-surprise situations._  
_A fraction later: _I'm distracted. Must CONCENTRATE narrow down THINGS narrow d-EXCLUDE.  
_WHERE THE HELL AM I GOING?_  
_To the gates._  
_Gates – taking them outside! _Thank you my wonderful instinct!  
_He went on running. He reached the square before the gates – THERE HE SAW:_  
A black spot roughly the shape of a coated man_ there on that low hill before him – _EYES  
_What's with his fucking eyes?_  
_He literally is _WATCHING ME – _his – hell of – eyes – COUNTER_ – fire back_ Kakashi._  
_Fire back, Kakashi._  
_He did._  
_The man moved his arms – guys before him – carrying _bodies_ – hair – purple HAIR._  
_See, they're there._  
_Kakashi ran – the man to guys, talking – Sai's head visible – closed eyes – arms hanging – STILL or YET?_  
_YET? 'Twas not their plan to kill them right!_  
_STILL, so – still alive. Only inconsciuos._  
_There, Kakashi ran._  
_The man looking him preparing to attack, the guys looking him sneering._  
_There, _NARUTO_'s head – LIFTING!_  
_Guys surprised – Naruto turning – moving & attacking._  
_The man left Kakashi, brought the others away, left the boys there._  
_Kakashi ran again. _  
_Naruto stood up, bent on Sai, woke him up._  
_Kakashi stepped calmly to them._  
_He then crumbled on his knees, laughing._  
_:Fucking endorphin._  
_Then he suddenly began to think again._  
_:Endorphin plus adrenaline._  
_The boys were talking to him – he waved a hand._  
_:"Not now"._  
Why did they leave the boys there.  
_They could bring them away. Why did the man give up so easily?_  
_They – the guys – they were _many enough.  
_Naruto had awoken – he was only Naruto._  
_He was only Kakashi._  
_This meant – _this man couldn't counter them together.  
_Wonderful thing to know._  
WHY?  
_The jot of adrenaline evaporated – the endorphin went still around – Kakashi realized he felt incredibly tired and incredibly well and incredibly happy._  
_He staggered behind the boys walking home.


	7. Defiled Reviled Exiled

Defiled, Reviled, Exiled:

**WARNING: this chapter is cowardly violent.**

That evening Naruto was itching.  
Kyuubi had taken control over him again, when "that guy Tobi" arrived. This was the problem.  
He had been helpless there. Kyuubi brought him nearly to death – Kyuubi had well nigh killed Sai.  
Kyuubi had taken him aback and over.  
The second problem was: he neither was conscious then.  
All the time – _Kakashi_ had made him wake his conscience and take control.  
Kakashi had triggered a sparkle to release light in his conscience.  
Then, SAI – the thought of Sai – had done the rest.  
Naruto looked at his face in the mirror – those orange hair, those green eyes he had chosen – those cheeks _without_ lines.  
This brothel was changing his life – this brothel _fucking_ brothel was MESSING UP his life.  
The hell the _straight apocalypse_ – the complete destruction of everything had ever helped him – KAKASHI was virtually the _only stone unturned_.  
He was exploiting Sai to reform an interpersonal relationship – he was spiting Sakura to avoid thinking of Sasuke – he was holding to Tsunade only because she _suited_ his needs.  
Kyuubi was taking him over, literally.  
Naruto was changing – he felt his mind changing – ideas and conceptions of the world _things _and PEOPLE were becoming those of Kyuubi.  
He realized _now_ he had dropped the article.  
Nine-tailed-demon was _A NAME_, now. THE name.  
Then Kyuubi began to interfere between him and Sai, covering Sai's word with his voice, covering Sai's face with Sasuke's, Naruto seeing it and _so _AVOIDING looking at his – boyfriend?  
At the last – calculating ways to whither Kyuubi's strongholds – Naruto said to himself: "I have to love."  
So that he had to love – he loved Sai.  
The love was actually natural – it sprang up by itself, but Naruto _knew_ he evoked it – he _chose_ so.  
This wasn't – with SASUKE.  
This wasn't – '_idiot of a cretin. Precisely: it was not love!'_  
This thought Naruto the evening of the kidnap trial, watching his own face in the mirror, seeing Sai coming in by the front door and turning to tell him (Sai): "Let's go eating out!"  
Sai agreed, smiling, Naruto went to him, grabbed his hand and headed to the door.  
He all of a sudden lost hold of Sai's hand – like his _hand HAD MOVED BY ITSELF_.  
The other hand still holding the knob, Naruto was overpowered by the Kyuubi.  
Who completely prevailing in his body made it turn back and hit Sai – a clean blow on the neck.  
Sai fell down – not unconscious but actually – paralysed.  
Not physically, we mean.  
Kyuubi had promised that guy Tobi to bring them there _physically sane_.  
"It's not my role to hurt them." he had said.  
Kyuubi made Naruto lift Sai up and carry him. He then made Naruto jump out of the window, practically flying.  
When he reached the ground he began to run – running through the street, jumping on Kakashi's new house' roof and continuing to run – there, on roofs – throughout Konoha – _out of _Konoha.  
He jumped on Konoha's gates and disappeared in midair.  
Someone saw that yellow-red ball of fire moving – unfortunately he thought of kids playing with fireworks "or something like that".  
Unfortunately, the few people who _knew_ about that version of a Jinchuuriki – since neither Naruto had ever known he could achieve that state – were told about it as early as the next day.  
The day after Naruto and Sai had been brought out their homes by the angry Demon.  
It was Iruka to first notice it – Kakashi was going on his roof, the day after, to look for a spring that let rain leak in.  
He leant the ladder against the wall, sidelong watching Naruto's house – the house was silent, all 'defensive devices' were in their places.  
Iruka passed by, watching the same Naruto's house and called Kakashi.  
"Where're they? The house's empty!"  
The foot on the first rung, Kakashi stopped to think – how couldn't he have noticed it? WHERE WAS NARUTO?  
He and Iruka managed to hear from witnesses the few known things – the few data.  
Then – there was this incredibly difficult problem: they had _disappeared_.  
No traces, no tracks, no prints – where to _look for them_?  
There was again this single chance – the blond guy from Akatsuki.  
Tsunade had eventually learned his name, and introduced him to Kakashi.  
Deidara talked before him, Tsunade, Guy and Asuma.  
He explained what he knew about the various Akatsuki's hideouts, about Akatsuki's resources – Tsunade began to send out squads, teams to walk any possible path.  
Kakashi listened, serious and grave.  
It was practically impossible. First of all, Akatsuki's hideouts were as many as twice Konoha's squads.  
Secondly, they continuously changed place even in peaceful times.  
Now that they had to run from Konoha to keep Naruto – they were simply not to be found.  
Kakashi felt helpless and guilty, ashamed.  
He couldn't simply swallow the news whole.  
He thought that, if he had it, he would draw back in his shell. But being it impossible, it would be a drawback.  
He went on mumbling, the others went on thinking and talking, reaching no point and getting no clue.  
Tsunade was nagging about her and the others' stupidity.  
She went on for hours; this had been the litmus test of their scarce preparation.  
Deidara talked with Iruka – the latter was trying to spill out something more from the earlier, but he had said quite anything – he recalled.  
He recalled geography and logistic of the few hideouts he had seen; he could sign them all on a map, since he always went around flying – so he knew, over roads, paths and forests, where to go.  
Tsunade decided to jeopardize him.  
Deidara could be useful down with the search squads – she also tried to picture a plan of operations.  
What operations? _Where to operate_? On _what_?  
They hadn't the palest idea of it – of it all.  
She told Kakashi and Iruka to collect their students and leave the village.  
She called the other Joonins, _all_ the other Joonins.  
She called the Anbus, she called the police, she called ANYONE.  
She eventually decided to ask for Gaara's help – this could only _involve _the Sand.  
She prepared to accept infamous conditions for this treaty, should it even mean losing her place as Hokage.  
She then called Shizue and informed her that the two of them, too, would leave and go with the others.  
Shizue nodded, silent.  
"Who will stay here in your place?"  
Tsunade had to think.  
"_Not _Danzou.  
No military – I want no military here.  
We'll see what the Kazekage has to say on this.  
I would only leave Shikamaru here in my place – but he has to come with us.  
It's strictly necessary that he comes.  
Who will be left here? C'mon, think...only to replace me for a short time, or maybe – Jesus Christ.  
FUCKING OROCHIMARU. What a hell of a mess he's done!"  
Shizue laughed.  
There was little to laugh there, and she knew, but the laugh came and she couldn't keep it.  
Tsunade smiled sadly.  
She had never missed Jiraya so much as she did now.  
Jiraya was dead.  
And Jiraya was practically the only one in the world who could help her, in this _hell of a mess._  
Then she suddenly got the answer.  
The other pseudo-father of Naruto was – the replacement!  
What replaces? A COPY!  
"CALL KAKASHI!"

"Kakashi!"  
Naruto suddenly woke up, screaming this.  
He saw something dark – such as black rocks – he realized it must be a "ceiling" – '_where the fuck am I?'_  
He lowered his eyes, realizing, all of a sudden, that he was aching all over.  
He lowered his eyes and found a face – a GRINNING face – staring at him, right before him, too FUCKING CLOSE _to him_ –  
He felt COLD. Cold? '_Dear God, I'm –'_  
He was naked. Half-naked. His clothes had been ripped down – the seal KYUUBI!  
"Where's Kyuubi?" he screamed, grabbing the shoulders of the man – right before him.  
_Before_ him? No – he was not before him. He was ON him.  
The man grinned again, laughed – such a deep voice – and said "Thir it s. Whir should he have gaen?"  
Naruto looked down where the man was pointing at – his seal.  
The – seal... bruises? '_Why then I got bruises? That's why I'm aching'_  
Yeah, a fight, clear, as those other wounds stated – BITES? Who BIT ME? Kyuubi? He actually DID it, not only in my mind?  
"Where do these bruises and bites come from?" he asked, panicking, to the man.  
The man grinned showing him teeth.  
"Hir. It's enough now? Ye – got it?" he ended laughing again.  
Naruto didn't answer.  
He couldn't answer.  
He turned to his left, hearing a sigh – it was Sai.  
Sai, beside him – naked and covered with wounds as he.  
Sai woke up and looked Naruto, looked the man, looked himself, looked the other man who came in the room right in that moment.  
Sai didn't say a word and moved to sit normally – of course he couldn't.  
Naruto looked the man, the one ON him – grey hair and red eyes.  
Then he fainted.  
The man woke him up by dint of slaps while the other pushed Sai to lie down again.  
"Daennae worrie. It will end soon.  
Tobi sais ye hiv tae be _killed_ soon. And ah'm nowt a necrophile." He ended, of course, laughing.  
Then he turned to the grey-haired man and said, still laughing:  
"Hidan, fir the love ay YER god.  
It least clean yer teeth."  
Hidan spat on the ground, a spit red of blood – he slapped Naruto again, grabbed his hair and pulled his face nearer – Naruto snarled – Hidan laughed –Naruto growled – Hidan grabbed his chin with the other hand, forced him to open his mouth, "kissed" him – then left his head and while Naruto screamed by pain he spat _something _on the ground.  
Sai saw it, through the other man's arms.  
Sai saw it and instinctively tried to turn to the wall – to vomit.  
But the man turned _him_ to the wall, closed his mouth with a hand and grabbed his waist with the other.  
Sai fainted and also Naruto fainted again, _of course _– by pain and in seeing HIS TONGUE in a poll of blood, there on the ground.  
Hidan laughed and woke him up forcedly, again, while trying to have a talk with "Kakuzu...", who of course was too busy to listen to him.  
Naruto started crying – the _third _time he woke up the ache had become PAIN – the mental pain had become PANIC – the hate, the rejection had become PARALYSIS and TERROR – the nausea itself, the sickness, had become FRAILTY.  
He cried, sobbing, desperately, gaping at Hidan – he never fainted again.  
Kyubbi didn't let him faint.  
Kyuubi had discovered _he liked Naruto's pain_.  
Kyuubi forced him to be conscious and to look at Sai every two minutes.  
When "that guy Tobi" entered the room and talked to them, Hidan and Kakuzu were quietly smoking Naruto's cigarettes, standing before their "handy preys", as Hidan called them.  
Tobi asked him "What's this fetish of cheek lines? He looks so much like a beast thus..."  
"Yeah, a little beast" said Hidan laughing. "They remind me ay freckles – _ah adore them_..."  
Kakuzu laughed.  
They were talking, all of them, standing before Sai and Naruto who lay on the ground practically motionless.  
Naruto had crouched against the wall, still sobbing – with no more voice than a tired kitty.  
Sai didn't simply say a word nor move a finger.  
He simply stared at nothing before him, ignoring the men.  
Tobi then said, calmly: "I see.  
Late downsizing of Akatsuki has only cleaned stains.  
Were Itachi or the other two here, they would only _pall_ you.  
I'm just sorry I ain't that human enough to leap at the chance..." laughed he.  
Hidan asked him, surprised: "Whir's the big mystery aboot yer identity now?  
They kid so _easily_ identify ye!"  
Tobi laughed again, deeply.  
"Who then?  
These two _suckers_ won't say a word.  
Not only because they refuse to TALK" he said menacingly, looking Sai "but also because they won't come out of here alive.  
I actually thought, if you've finished with them..."  
Hidan commented: "Guess they're good naetin, now..." with a stupid, acute laugh.  
"I get the demon then" said Tobi.  
Naruto desperately tried to stand up – move – walk away – _walk?_ What walk? He crumbled on his knees.  
He turned painstakingly to look Hidan, a single blink straight in his eyes.  
Hidan watched that puppet-like face dripping pity.  
And _laughed_.  
"Kin ah use his body fir mah rites?"  
"...You can do whatever the fuck you want with their bodies.  
You could even _heal them_ _and begin again_, wasn't it that I have to take the demon, and I'm sorry, unfortunately he will die" he ended, pointing at Naruto.  
Hidan:  
"As fir the other...ir _well_!  
Ah nivir exploited a Jinchuuriki. In both senses" he grinned, closing his waistcoat.  
Tobi walked to Naruto, grabbed his hair and dragged him on the pavement out of the room.  
Kakuzu and Hidan walked to Sai.

Kakashi walked in Naruto's house and tried to get some hint – some_where_ –where?  
With all those defensive devices – no one thought of CAMERAS. Cameras, shit.  
He found only a slight trace of Kyuubi's chakra.  
'_KYUUUUUUUUUUBIII!'_  
"KYUUUBIIII!" roared Kakashi to the ceiling, and he ended snarling – hissing – spitting – groaning – crying – weeping.  
Then he lost breath and voice.  
He felt a void around him.  
A void – emptiness.  
Not a blank, a lack: _an empty place, all around him_.  
Before, beside, behind him.  
Behind him, '_father'_. Beside him, '_friends'_. Before him, '_NARUTO'._  
All ended.  
ALL DEAD. Kakashi's lot in life was a handful of graves.  
There wasn't a chance in hell – NOT ONLY that Akatsuki wouldn't kill them – ALSO.  
ALSO: it was impossible that they were STILL ALIVE then.  
"No way to find them _before_ they get killed.  
If it isn't already happened, moreover.  
Moreover.  
Moreover.  
Moreover."  
His mind went on looping _moreover_ and his knees bent making him violently hit the ground.  
Kakashi didn't react.  
_'Those brutes ravage free_.  
_FREE! What the fuck have we done all these years? _  
_WE COULD PREVENT IT ALL! _  
_WE COULD AVOID IT ALL! _  
_ALL!'_  
It was Shikamaru to find him, still there, sitting on the ground.  
He put a hand on Kakashi's head, not knowing what to say.  
He stood there behind him.  
Kakashi turned the head to watch him.  
Shikamaru sighed.  
He caught his breath, cleared his throat, gulped and said:  
"There are no probabilities."  
Kakashi sprang up, fell back down, nodded and shut up.  
"Whereas, however..."  
Kakashi turned to look him, crying, eyes gaping.  
Shikamaru smiled.  
"There's something that makes me think that...not only that guy with the mask is involved in command.  
He obviously has tasks to accomplish.  
If not _someone else_ is – wait, Kakashi.  
If he got Naruto – the problem, last time, wasn't _you plus Naruto_.  
The problem was _you_.  
His problem is you.  
We have to gather a shitload of data!  
Where are Neji and Hinata?  
What's the Sand doing?  
We NEED INFO!"  
"...that all means the same.  
They're dead."  
"Not if it has not been _that guy_ to take them.  
Orochimaru surely knows it, he tried to ally with this guy but this guy refused, or something like that.  
Orochimaru may have decided to get the demon first.  
_Orochimaru_ wouldn't have already killed them.  
He can't.  
If he could, he'd have done it before. Isn't it?"  
"...therefore?"  
Shikamaru smiled.  
"I came here on behalf of Tsunade.  
She wants you to take her place for a bit.  
She has to come with us.  
I am the Chief of Staff, Tsunade said I must stay alive.  
All the others are going on battlefield or hunt field or whatever it will be.  
The Sand has still to answer our proposals.  
Kakashi.  
I send for Orochimaru, now."  
Kakashi looked him, surprised.  
And followed him out of Naruto's house, to the Hokage's palace, where he took command simply by sitting down.  
Tsunade had already left the village.  
Shikamaru sat down in front of the Hokage's desk, while Kakashi tried to wear the official 'hat'.  
Shikamaru laughed wholeheartedly seeing him with it – Kakashi took it off and held back a laugh.  
"Okay. Who do we send off to Orochimaru?"  
Shikamaru didn't speak for a minute. That _grammar_. Orochimaru wasn't a PLACE...  
Then he gulped, collected ideas and said:  
"_Women_.  
I don't know why.  
We have to contact Tsunade.  
She goes there with Shizune, but I also want Sakura and FIRST OF ALL Hinata.  
I don't know why, women.  
WHY? Last, but not least: Orochimaru has always had this obsession for BOYS.  
So, let's send _THERE_ women."  
"I would marry you if I could..."  
Shikamaru burst out laughing, jumping off the chair. Then when he got breath again said, waving a hand to Kakashi:  
"Kakashi, but let's state we're only joking, yeah?"  
Kakashi laughed to tears and when tears came out they continued to, until he finished the water and ended up with no voice and a throat so sore that he couldn't even breathe.

_Tears, idle tears_


	8. Precious Chaos

Precious chaos

Days later.  
Kakashi was still under that bad weather, avoiding seeing anyone else than Shikamaru.  
Three days before he had been in communication with the patrolling squad, found Tsunade and informed her about – his state of mind.  
His desperation.  
His demotivation.  
Tsunade had laughed.  
"Stop cunting there around. Choose a motherfucking path and see where it leads.  
The fuck you thought was commanding?"  
Kakashi didn't laugh.  
He sighed and put end to the conversation.  
Shikamaru was looking him, from the other side of the Kage's desk.  
He was always there. Was always looking at the Kage. Always answering to the Kage.  
Only thinking _for_ and about the Kage. Kakashi made a half smile.  
"What then?"  
Shikamaru took time to formulate the answer.  
Kakashi was mentally destroyed since the previous evening.  
He had announced his fears, one night of sighs being now totally fucking useless and only heavier to bear for his wit.  
Kakashi was totally distracted, and so Shikamaru only answered "Get back on it tomorrow" standing up to leave the room.  
This was the signal for Kakashi. When Shikamaru left, he had to leave.  
They were acting in total coordination – they looked like twins.  
Three days later Kakashi hadn't changed a bit.  
Shikamaru had begun to sigh in his place, watching him looking _always_ the desk board and twitching, from time to time, evidently thinking of things he just mumbled on to have a last taste of them.  
Things – Naruto and Sai.  
When you munch memories like this, that's for a dead one.  
Shikamaru understood that the other had completely lost hope.  
"Well if it's a war of attrition they're attempting to put up, they've made it" he said scornfully.  
Kakashi, as reply, sighed looking him, the eyes of a scorned cold puppy lost in nowhere.  
Shikamaru sighed himself.  
"Kak. We have to make something.  
At least send Tsunade. Hinata, Tsunade, Sakura. What about it?"  
Kakashi nodded.  
"Actually we have to do something. They only or another squad too?"  
Shikamaru thought.  
"Two squads. That should be right.  
Have we got time – a minute – I want to put down once for all the squads shipping.  
Lee – Neji – Chouji – Tenten – Sakura – Kiba – Ino – Hinata – who then?"  
He realized he posed the wrong question.  
Kakashi sighed silently again.  
Then he cleared his throat, regaining his voice, and said:  
"Keep them for now. They're the first ones.  
Neji, Lee and Kiba - Hinata, Tsunade and Sakura – Ino, Tenten, Chouji. Neji with Guy, Ino with Asuma. That's right?"  
"Could be. I wonder when the FUCK will we actually find Orochimaru."  
Shikamaru sighed loudly and angrily.  
Kakashi looked him and wasn't able to think enough as to speak.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS OROCHIMARU?"  
"Thir, thir, shut the fuck up...ye waen gu an like this aw the road long, yeah?"  
"Shut up _yir_ fucking mooth, ye –"  
"You two, stop quarrelling. _Silence_, I said. And _I_ SAID."  
Hidan and Kakuzu obeyed. Tobi wrote the laws therein, that was clear as day.  
Tobi himself didn't speak.  
He never spoke, he always thought.  
Then when he said something – orders – he had always that spiteful, sneering, scorning voice of the one who laughs at you mocking you and pretending he's treating you with respect.  
But Hidan and Kakuzu hadn't the wit to notice it – they were bored like children when they want to play and grown-ups force them to do serious shit.  
Their _play_ had ended with Sai's death. There were no replacement toys as for now.  
Sai had resisted few days after Naruto's death – both their corpses hanged on Kakuzu's back, folded in some dirty clothes.  
Kisame and Sasori's bodies had instead been chopped to pieces and buried hastily somewhere far from Akatsuki's hideouts.  
They had left the hideout where they killed the boys and were presently trying to avoid all the hideouts Deidara knew.  
Deidara.  
Tobi often thought about him.  
Deidara was an incredible failure of his.  
Tobi wanted Deidara to go and tell Konoha people _some things_ but he planned on getting after him later and killing him.  
Now it wasn't possible.  
He had decided to risk on Deidara – getting the Jinchuuriki meant that Konoha put up its guard, Deidara was involved, Deidara HELPED them – Deidara fucked him.  
Probability told.  
He had risked on probability.  
He had to get the Kyuubi IMMEDIATELY – he had to get Orochimaru in the shit.  
He wanted the Ten-tails to be perfect.  
Melting the demons, fusing the demons, get the Ten-tails back – get his power, his energy – and make him – _it?_ – do what you fucking want to be done.  
He decided to let the guys stop and rest for that night. That was the fifth day they were travelling in a row.  
The two guys never complained, but they were getting nervous.  
Hidan threw down a bag he was carrying, Kakuzu threw down the boys.  
Tobi neither watched them.  
He stood there looking the way they had to do, thinking of _where to go_ and _what to do_ and _where the fuck could be Orochimaru_.  
And he thought of Deidara.  
There were lots of things in Akatsuki's hideouts that had been left there by those asses of the guys and that it was better that Konoha didn't find.  
Those things could bring Konoha to him – could even make _someone_ notice _some things_ that he, for the moment, wanted to shut up.  
Kakashi.  
WHY DIDN'T KAKASHI COME TO FIND HIS PUPILS?  
This he _had_ foreseen, he _had _prevented, he _had prepared_ for it!  
He had taken it into account – FUCK IT, he NEEDED Kakashi to come out of that fucking village!  
He suddenly thought of Orochimaru and laughed.  
How could you be that cunty?  
Decades ago Orochimaru had decided he would raze Konoha, and Konoha was a fucking little fuck of a village NO ONE cared for – _without _allies – _with _the Kyuubi – _against_ Orochimaru.  
And Orochimaru was powerful.  
And was useful.  
Any country would accept to go against Konoha to take the demon and grant itself Orochimaru as ally.  
ANYONE.  
'_Why is he so stupid...'_  
Hidan caught his attention. He was screaming at Kakuzu's back:  
"Ah'm nowt fucking saying thit thit flying bitch ay Deidara wid betray us, AH SAIS HE'S ALREADY FUCKING SOLD TAE KONOHA!"  
Tobi laughed sincerely. '_Flying bitch'..._!

"Bitch ass motherfucker. Whoa God bitch ass motherfucker.  
I hate being on this thing.  
I HATE FUCKING BEING ON THIS THING"  
"Stop palling.  
You're just flying, man. You see that thing there? That's your house.  
You've to see and know how this thing works, like fuck it, man, Shikamaru, you'll have to ride it"  
Shikamaru moaned in panic.  
His panic sprang from the fact that it was totally PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE for that THING to fly – it was made out of CLAY. Clay.  
Fucking clay.  
No energy, no propellant, no fucking energy and this thing COULD FLY.  
Kinetically and physically fucking impossible.  
He had to do it, though. That thing could be useful.  
Though he was concentrating to hold down the nausea, though he was also thinking (really) about _how that thing worked_ – he didn't want to do it never again – though the panic he was into, he couldn't help thinking about KAKASHI.  
How was he doing there alone?  
What was happening?  
That – was it clearly completely straight, leaving him alone in the office?  
Since the first day, Kakashi had _never _been alone in the office.  
Shikamaru sighed, Deidara turned to look him, Shikamaru sighed again and spelled silently "_Hokage..._"

"HOKAGE? What?  
KAKASHI HOKAGE?" Tobi screamed against Orochimaru.  
Orochimaru nodded and confirmed, sneering.  
"Is it so incredible for you? He's skilled for it. More than Tsunade surely..."  
"The fuck he's skilled!"  
"Think you, really?"  
Tobi didn't answer.  
There was such a venom in that rhetorical stupid question – there were so many chances of letting him understand something from whatever possible answer.  
Tobi decided to shut up, due to the apparent elusiveness of Orochimaru's question.  
Hidan answered without being questioned and sidelong watching Kabuto:  
"Nae think. Whae cares. Wir here fir"  
"WE'RE here for" said Tobi clearing his throat. "You know what I want to do, don't you, Orochimaru?"  
Orochimaru waited a second and then stated, lightly:  
"No."  
"Well...I'd like to show you a bit of it."  
Orochimaru disappeared.  
"Then, why do you have to be so distrustful?  
Really, man, if I can trust _YOU_"  
"I'm trustworthy!" said Orochimaru reappearing, offended, behind Kabuto. "I've always done what I said I'd do!"  
"...And more than it, usually. Avowed killers can't be trustworthy."  
"HUH, he talks! The man with the cleanest record of Ninja world!"  
"I have a reason to kill, it's not only that I want to use people as dead meat..." commented Tobi.  
"Yeah, and what a heck of a reason?"  
"This."  
Tobi had lost his temper and abruptly thrown the strange guitar-shaped box he had been carrying all the journey before Orochimaru, on the ground.  
"How were the two guys, there?" asked Orochimaru to Hidan, avoiding making notice of the 'guitar'.  
Kakuzu started: "A night for cursing nursery rhymes-"  
"STOP WITH PUNS. I hate them fucking puns." hissed Hidan.  
Tobi chuckled.  
Orochimaru didn't comment, stayed silent for a minute, and then asked:  
"What's this, in the end?"  
"Five demons."  
Orochimaru's glance startled moving to Naruto and coming back to Tobi.  
Who continued:  
"Including Kurama. He's happy of being there – with me."  
"Yeah the demon brought this cunt by us, fucking angry demon mad as fuck" laughed Hidan wholeheartedly.  
Tobi smiled in reply. "Then, what do you want to do?"  
Orochimaru lingered:  
"...C'mon, man, give me just time to think. I can't tell it right now. What you're gonna do with it?"  
"We could even start it now if you wanted."  
"...Show me."  
Thus Tobi did.  
Orochimaru saw a blur of shit in midair before him – then he fucking lost consciousness of the surroundings.  
He looked at his own hands – seeing them – strangely – SANE.  
He then looked at Kabuto and saw _him_ – WHAT?  
Long hair, sweet smile, another uniform – that _stretch_ uniform – he gulped "Tobi..."  
"What's it like? Isn't it good? What do you want then?"  
Orochimaru suddenly realized that he was mentally listing the process of _every fucking jutsu ever existed_ – "WHOAH THE SIX PATHS SAGE Tobi this fucking shit is wonderful!"  
Then he took breath once or twice – to gain energy.  
But throughout this blur of _jutsus_ he couldn't fucking FIND the one who countered _Tobi's genjutsu_.  
"And then fuck it, herein it's all so black I can't see a motherfucking thing!  
Tobi!  
Drop this shit down!"

"DROP ME DOWN OF THIS SHIT!" Shikamaru eventually panicked as fuck.  
Deidara laughed, light-hearted, made the clay bird lower nearer to the roof of the Hokage's palace.  
Kakashi was there on the roof, waiting for Shikamaru.  
Who suddenly thought _'How long has he been standing there?'_  
Kakashi smiled to him and began to walk, coming to them, to help – apparently – Shikamaru come down.  
Which thing he couldn't do, since Deidara – laughing – pushed simply Shikamaru down, forcedly, making him stumble and fall badly before KAkashi.  
The latter didn't laugh.  
He just grabbed Shikamaru's arm and helped him in standing up, then looked Deidara and asked quietly:  
"How's gone the trip?"  
"Right...good.  
He's good in driving this thing.  
You were there all the time, however, you could see by your own."  
He stopped looking Kakashi and Shikamaru and then said, leering them:  
"How about me leaving you alone for a time now?  
I'm just going to do some shit down at the prison."  
Shikamaru laughed.  
"Haven't you moved from them yet?"  
"No. I don't want to. That is the best place herein.  
Akatsuki surely wants to kill me.  
By the way, when does Sand Country come down here to talk with you?" he asked Kakashi.  
"As soon as possible.  
We have to talk with the teams, Shikamaru. I prepared the communications room for you."  
Deidara laughed simply and went, flying, away.  
Kakashi shouted behind him:  
"Then leave that thing in the headquarter! By the way, fuck it, has it got a name?"  
"NO! Why should I name it? It's a thing!"  
"Things have names, you idiot..." whispered Kakashi to Shikamaru.  
Who laughed lightly and pulled Kakashi downstairs.  
While they walked, he asked his Kage, nodding at Deidara: "You think that would be a good choice?"

"YOU THINK YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE WITH THIS SHIT, you fucker?  
I can – I'll show you..."  
This time it was Tobi to laugh, and instinctively moving to leave the place he was and ending up behind Orochimaru.  
"I know you're there, you sucker.  
You can't prepare this jutsu to work on a snake's senses..._sucker_."  
Saying this Orochimaru turned back to face him, grabbed his mask – and his hand remained clutched holding nothing – _inside Tobi's face_.  
"This is really interesting..." said the latter, jumping away.  
"YOU! What the hell is that shit? I don't remember you being able to do anything like it"  
"...Ye knew each other?" said Hidan.  
"Ye daennae understand it until now?" answered Kakuzu, dropping the kids' corpses on the ground.  
Then he raised his head and eyes again to see Orochimaru and Tobi staring hatefully at each other, some ten metres between them, each one standing his ground and trying to counter the other.  
Then Tobi sighed.  
"This is a good thing for you.  
It can only help you to come into this thing. You won't be affected... Orochimaru.  
You want to destroy Konoha, you only wanted to gain also something else from it.  
I'll make you rule any country you want after I destroy your ex village.  
I'll make everyone believe you're good as a governor and let you be the king. 'Tis not what you wanted?"  
Orochimaru sighed.  
"It could be enough."

"This isn't actually enough to act upon. 'Find Orochimaru'. Actually, try to understand, Shikamaru..."  
Tsunade was interrupted from Lee who said:  
"Shika, this could we think it also by ourselves! There's no way he'd wrong, Tsuna-"  
"I won't accept criticism from idiots, and I won't accept discord.  
I say – "  
"All hope is gone, in my opinion. However you know better" said Neji.  
Shikamaru thought for a minute.  
Could there be such a preliminary answer? How, if at all, could it be accepted?  
_'I should ponder the question.'_  
Kakashi intervened to say: "This is the only thing we can do as for now. And we must do something.  
The girls team will go there, WHEREVER that _there_ is.  
C'mon, I want everyone to patrol around, find that _fucking _Orochimaru and then sent the girls there.  
You right, Tsunade?"  
"...Yeah, right. However, why should we alone girls go there?"  
"'Cus Orochimaru likes to fuck boys, that's clear."  
Shikamaru looked at him puzzled: "HAVE YOU EVER TRIED SHUTTING UP, SENSEI?"  
Tsunade answered, slightly panicking:  
"Oh, hang on, you mean it? ...The cynic you are..."  
Just before the other boys in the teams started to shout against Kakashi – in fact they had just been told that Sasuke had been _killed_, or well, not really everyone knew – Shikamaru entitled Tsunade to command on battlefield – if there would be any – and closed the communication.  
Kakashi looked him baffled in reply: "...Battlefield?"

"BATTLEFIELD! DAE YE CALL THIS A FUCKING BATTLEFIELD!  
Whir the fuck ur they?"  
"Ah can't see a shit ay a thing Hidan! Stop shouting like a pussy!  
Thir's nae problem in here, ah can't see them either bit thir them whae fight, it's nowt us involved!"  
Straight as he spoke he was hit by a flying blow.  
"Whae the fuck wis it? I can't manage to see a fucking shit _man_"  
All around them, _a pure BLACK CHAOS._  
"It's like being sucked intae a wormhole, guys!"  
"Since whin dae ye know wit a wormhole s, Kakuzu?" laughed Hidan.  
"BIT WHY THE FUCK DID THEY START FIGHTING?"  
"How the fuck wid I ken, Kakuzu...they jist wir talking shite n thin thit shite ay Orochimaru started."  
"Ah saw um traeng to take the Mazou.  
Thin thit's why Tobi run it um."  
They stopped talking to witness the brothel before them, and to try to watch out – to build a defence.  
But – against WHAT?  
Here and there spots of lights as ignes fatui – wisps – in the light of the fires wrestling feckless shadows.  
Orochimaru and Tobi – they weren't simply able to hit each other.  
Orochimaru didn't SEE Tobi – Tobi couldn't FORESEE Orochimaru – they were running around and throwing blows around like headless chickens.  
Pure total chaos – Hidan and Kakuzu decided to exploit the fact that those two fuckers seemed to ignore  
them, and glided a bit away.


	9. Hissing, Malcontent

Hissing, malcontent

Away with the glimpses of a normal life, what fled from Kakashi, what Kakashi lost in those days was the minimal chance of trusting in what he had, till that moment, called hope.  
Shikamaru felt it – we can really say that Shikamaru not _felt_ but rather _calculated_ anything passing in Kakashi's mind, _at least_ Kakashi's – and tried, obviously and as always, to produce a coping mechanism for Kakashi.  
Their relationship was practically based on Kakashi's using Shikamaru's brain as philosophical calculator.  
Shikamaru was contented with it; he felt that it was the right thing to do in the right place to be, and the time – that wasn't a matter of question: those who think they can choose the time _do conceive_ different times, and Shikamaru's definition of "time" was "now".  
He, we all know, refused to conceive, to believe, to picture, even to _talk_ _about_ anything ILLOGICAL – more than everything he refused to ACT _in consequence_ of an illogical thing, which he neither could define a _concept_.  
Yeah, Shikamaru was a normal human – there was nothing strange in this behaviour of his.  
The _strange_ thing on Shikamaru was his incredible speed of thought – how fast he was in computing, a lot faster than anyone else he ever knew, even more than his father and his teacher.  
Shikamaru had never needed experience to understand, and therefore know, how a thing worked: it was all predictable by pure straightforward logic.  
Kakashi got along really well with this Shikamaru's _forma mentis_.  
He also felt it to be practically obvious that the two of them, were they to choose a single partner to live along with, would choose each other.  
Shikamaru held this a bit more in question – of course we see that Kakashi was quite older than him.  
Their ages were, at the time, around 28 and 16 respectively, and it wasn't an easy threshold to trespass for the youngest of the pair.  
Not that Kakashi found _it_ acceptable _in itself_ – it was _he and Shikamaru_ that was acceptable, since it would work.  
Kakashi, after that shower of deaths he had been under, had become inert – completely passive, motionless, still, inactive – he was apt to be subdued by anything happening around him.  
As _defensive devices_ (how fucking hurt him that phrase now!) he had chosen, respectively for humans, events and things, introversion, cold mind and indifference.  
Shikamaru had acted first than anything else _before _this swayed and fluttering forma mentis, and so this forma mentis had reacted to Shikamaru first; acting on it, Shikamaru bore in mind the _fragility_, the _insecurity_, the _mutability_ of Kakashi's beliefs.  
Thus he chose to accomplish a _fixed point_ – a stated, _certain_ centre.  
The centre around which everything else moves: the fixed point, the _way of seeing_ the world (_Weltanschauung_, as one of our Philosophers said) that HAS TO BE always THE SAME – simply as _your face_ has to be the same, as _your voice _ has to be the same.  
The way of seeing the world, the _view of the world_ has to be fixed, since the entire world – intended as _universe, the existence_ or MATTER, simply, fuck it – MOVES CONTINUOUSLY. Therefore, to know where you come from and where is the direction in which you were going, you _have to have a fixed point_.  
The suspension point of the pendulum.  
So, Kakashi being an inertial frame, and Shikamaru _playing_ the suspension point, this system yielded – precisely what Kakashi needed.  
To rotate.  
The rotation began as soon as Kakashi recognized Shikamaru as suspension point: as he began to rotate, he used this to compute.  
Yes: he computed rotating.  
He moved on a path, while he rotated: so he exploited the situation, exploited the circumstances, and on _that_ path he began to pick up things – data – _Meinungen_: _meanings. _  
Pick up a datum, pick up another datum, put them together.  
Shikamaru was so _fixed_, so full of certainties, in his being the suspension point, that Kakashi's plane of oscillation followed perfectly the movements of the world _around_ _Shikamaru_ (that were exactly the movements of the world _around Kakashi_).  
This means that _Kakashi's rotation followed perfectly the movements of the world._  
This meant that Kakashi didn't miss a point, that Kakashi always hit the spot; that Kakashi _never misunderstood_.  
Kakashi followed the world perfectly, just as _the pendulum perfectly follows, and then signs, in his rotation, the rotation of the earth_.  
The suspension point of the pendulum is _the only FIXED POINT in the entire universe_, the only POINT THAT CAN BE TRUSTED – that can never be _missed_.  
"Thanks, Shikamaru".  
Shikamaru smiled as he held the door opened for Kakashi – then he closed it and followed him to his desk.  
He cleared his throat and opened their session with a newly-arranged issue:  
"Have you thought about Guy being your first attendant and I moving in second place, Kak?"  
"...No. I'm not thinking about it. I DON'T WANT to. You aren't going on battlefield, Guy is – I need you, not Guy. End of discussion. Moreover I need you – personally, I mean. What I mean is"  
Shikamaru gaped at him.  
"Kakashi...! That's quite a strange thing to say-"  
"I only mean that his mind isn't as appealing as yours..." laughed Kakashi.  
Shikamaru turned suddenly serious, afraid perhaps of giving offence by continuing the conversation in a style a bit too humorous – a false step to be particularly guarded against by those who converse with monarchs.  
They had still and again to talk about Orochimaru's hunt.  
As Shikamaru watched Kakashi, choosing the words, their eyes met, and something flashed between them. It was something they couldn't define, but it was something really fine.  
Of course, in the meantime, Shikamaru was _computing_.  
"Well.  
The girls have begun to look for that piece of shit around, but for the moment there is no news.  
The fact is that more than three weeks are passed – Kakashi, I believe that in the meantime we should contact the Kazekage.  
He's a Jinchuuriki too, he will of course be interested.  
More than that, we need international inquiries and the aid of their intelligence – I want to know who the fuck is behind this story!  
There's some country behind the Aka, Kak.  
And what does this shit of a 'Tobi' want? We should go the Sand Village, Kak...believe me."  
"I have a strange feeling about leaving the village.  
Something's like, telling me, _don't go don't go don't go don't go_! But I WON'T send you alone. If you go I come."  
"It should be the contrary, Kak...actually, who do we leave in charge?"  
"Tsunade said NOT DANZOU.  
I was thinking about Asuma or your father. Is your father already in action down there?"  
'There' was an unspecified place out of Konoha.  
All of their troops were hanging around in the countryside and widening day by day their range of patrolled ground, looking for Orochimaru.  
"No, no, he's at home.  
Tsuni wanted him to be a second to me or something like that. I didn't understand."  
"Well, he'll be second to _me_. He and Guy take our places, until we come back from the Sand Country.  
Let's call the both of them".  
Kakashi then stood up and went to the bathroom.

He came back after having washed his face and had a sudden enlightenment:  
"But, Shikamaru!"  
In the same moment Guy and Shikamaru's father came in.  
Kakashi went on:  
"Two spots with one shot, Shikamaru.  
Tell the squads to look for Akatsuki's hideouts.  
Deidara said someone was in contact with Orochimaru, inside the Aka – they may have left something somewhere...and look also in all _their_ hideouts to know everything we can about them. Clear?  
That guy, Deidara, make him map everything.  
Then I want to strengthen our communications with the troops on field, and we have to find a way to avoid being espied...but how, how, how...how could we?" said he while reflecting.  
Shikamaru's father intervened:  
"I got it. We have to use written communication. Clear?  
Then we can codify it...with Shikamaru on the one side and someone like Neji on the other..."  
His son replied:  
"Naa, Lee...  
Lee for codifying and decoding. He's always been skilled in maths...and things – stuff.  
Great. Now, the two of you.  
Kakashi and I are going to the Sand Country to involve them and get their help – and their intelligence and their allies. You, Paps and Guy Sensei, will replace us.  
The sooner we leave the better it is.  
Paps, you will also have to forward us the communications from the people on field...oh, we have to update the orders, Kak.  
Everyone on field connected...clear. Hello everyone, it's me, Shikamaru.  
Important news.  
You will be given instructions to reach Akatsuki's hideouts.  
You have to look therein for information on Orochimaru and on the Akatsuki.  
A single squad will continue to look for Orochimaru, I'll – we'll send Deidara to transport them.  
The mentioned squad is formed by Sakura, Hinata, Tsunade, Neji.  
Besides, we are preparing to change our mean of communications – in some days we will only exchange written information.  
Lee, to you personally: you will be our referent, okay? You'll have to decode and codify the messages."  
"Clear, Commander!" answered Lee proud.  
Tsunade interrupted them, commenting: "The hell is Kakashi there for? You're doing all his work..."  
Kakashi opened the mouth to reply, but Shikamaru did it first:  
"HEEEEEEEY – I don't want these things to be said on Kakashi, right? By the way, he's done _all_ the work, I simply repeated it!"  
"WHOAH, kid, calm the fuck down and tell me not what I have to do, clear?" answered Tsunade, baffled.  
Kakashi tried to intervene: "You two, there's no need, Shik just calm down too, she's"  
"I'M HIERARCHICALLY YOUR COMMMANDER IN CHARGE and YEAH, I tell YOU what you have to do!"  
The tone should have been serious, but Shikamaru couldn't help laughing, while he spoke.  
"Of course until Kakashi wants it." he ended.  
Kakashi , puzzled, burst out:  
"HUH, 'cause now it's all MY responsibility, yeah?"  
Tsunade laughed and didn't reply to Shika – who ended the conversation laughing himself.  
Guy was still looking Shikamaru, baffled – he really couldn't justify those _two_ outbursts in Kakashi's defence. He looked puzzled at Shikamaru's father, who commented:  
"Yeah, that's how he's always all like at home.  
_Kakashi here_ and _Kakashi there_ and _but Kakashi said_ and _if Kakashi does_ and you can NEVER touch HIS  
Kakashi, NEVER.  
You know, Shikamaru has never got the courage – like me – to reply, not even to think of contradicting, to his mother.  
Yesterday she said something like that Tsunade said, 'you're doing all his work, why are you always there' and Shikamaru simply _destroyed_ her.  
I don't know then where he got this perfect control of rhetoric and dialectic, but he's able to put trap questions everywhere.  
I noticed" laugh "the more his mother quarrelled like – you know – women do, the more he got upset."  
Shikamaru nagged: "They always go on saying this _bullshit_ like that Tsunade said.  
I fucking hate women's way of quarrelling."  
Guy didn't comment and watched alternatively Kakashi and Shikamaru.  
At the phrase 'HIS Kakashi' he had simply frown.  
Kakashi didn't even think about Guy, about anything else than _his Shikamaru's caring for him_ and smiled.  
They accorded on their leaving the very same evening.

Guy managed to be fifteen minutes alone with Kakashi, when Shikamaru went home to collect the things he need to bring on the journey.  
"That's quite strange, that boy's behaviour, isn't it?"  
Kakashi was distracted, he was lost in his thoughts. "Mh?"  
"No, I'd say...your behaviour is strange too. You're both acting really strange, Kakashi...and then, he's calling you Kak? Didn't you hate being nicknamed?"  
"He can do whatever the fuck he wants. I'm thinking that it should be reversed, instead...the fact is I'll need  
Shikamaru's brain in the Sand thing. I'd prefer that you came...I don't feel safe at all about that place."  
"Well...couldn't I come there too?"  
"And who stays here? Everyone's out! No...you have to do this, were it only to do me a favour, Guy."  
"Okay, okay. I'll just sit here waiting for you, as you wish. But I wanted really to have a talk with you...before you go, I mean. This Shikamaru thing..."  
"OH, c'mon Guy, what do you have to mind about Shikamaru? Actually" he changed voice, now speaking lower, hissing a little "this is not of your business. Isn't it?"  
Guy stared at him with that black frown again.  
"And what should I report to Anko, so?  
Three weeks she's asking me every time we meet '_where is Kakashi then?'_  
She told she has come here fifteen times and you _never_ gave her the permission to come upstairs, you _always_ left her down like an idiot.  
KAKASHI! The fuck is happening to you?  
Once you would at least simply _tell her_ 'WE BREAK UP!'.  
You've become – alright I know everything – but I thought, if you're together with Anko, you should try to feel better staying with _her_, isn't it?  
So, the fact that you're staying ALWAYS with Shikamaru – is it true that you have even reserved him a room here?  
I mean, it's"  
"He never used it until now, and however MIND YOUR BUSINESS!" Kakashi managed to interrupt Guy, speaking even faster than he.  
"ALRIGHT, I mind MY business!  
Tell me what should I reply to Anko."  
"That it's over, since _you would obviously tell her this the same_."  
"HUH, I would tell her.  
It's not that _it's this the same_, yeah, Kak? You see it annoys you?  
When I do it it annoys you, when _Shikamaru-kun_ does it it's alright. I don't know what to think, Kakashi, really.  
I at least thought-"  
"Could I at least know why the fuck are you messing in my private business?"  
"HE'S 16!  
Doesn't this remind you of something called LAW?  
16! Clear?"  
"He's enough intelligent to control and be responsible of"  
"OF WHAT?"  
Guy stood up, grabbed Kakashi collar and pulled him near to himself.  
Kakashi held Guy's wrists tight and got a fucking threatening facial expression. He syllabified:  
"Guy.  
Mind only your fucking business and let me think of mine, alright?  
_Don't involve Shikamaru and NEVER spell his name again._  
You'll have something to complain about if you don't stay on _your ground_. By the way, why does it make you angry? He's 16 for you, too" he laughed.  
Of course, this was a joke.  
Of course, Kakashi had understood – of course, this was way to make peace.  
But Guy didn't understand.  
He suddenly left Kakashi and said, disconcerted:  
"You –you think that I –but fuck it, didn't you get – I was talking – but, Kakashi!"  
Kakashi laughed wholeheartedly.  
It was like having a puppet in front of you. Guy was helpless.  
Kakashi laughed and stepped to him, hugged him – but like friends, clear? – then left him and was there to say something.  
But the door opened and Shikamaru came in, smiling.  
"I made them prepare your bags too, Kak."  
"...Thank you."

They prepared their squad to escort them, only five people.  
Kakashi was right in believing that he and Shikamaru couldn't be targets of no one, since no one knew yet that they governed Konoha, nor that Konoha was in such a trouble.  
Okay, the truth was that Kakashi and Shikamaru were taking for granted some things: like the fact that _Tobi _wasn't a Sand ally, like the fact that _Orochimaru_ had kidnapped the boys, that _Orochimaru and Tobi _still weren't allies – first of all, that the SAND COUNTRY WOULD HELP THEM.  
And, of course, that _in their country_ everything would go on well.  
Forgetting that the archenemy, _Danzou_, was still there and alive.  
Before they left, the Ninjas had never presumed that something like that could happen in their society.  
And in fact even we Europeans didn't foresee it nor conceive it – but it happened, the same.  
Danzou collected all his forces and attacked Shikamaru's father – he killed him, Guy was imprisoned.  
The coup d'état took a single night to change Konoha from head to toe.  
The Uchiha clan lost politically, legally and humanly ANY right.  
The negation of every freedom and the establishment of the dictatorship were simply things that no one could foresee, first of all thinking that the entire people, after Orochimaru's break-in, had really enjoyed being in peace.  
But scarcely after the Ninjas arrived to the Sand Country the political situation in their own land changed – at all.  
Obviously they didn't know it – they couldn't know it – communications were broken immediately.  
They were also thinking of completely different things, and didn't worry for a moment about that incredibly remote possibility.  
Not once in their entire lives had they believed that their people could do such an enormous non-sense.  
There had always been different political views among them, but they had also brought them to peace through compromises.  
Now the peace was threatened, and with the cooperation of the entire society, who had decided to bring the conflicts to war and to be completely deaf to prayers.  
Not a single moment did men or women or youths try to _discuss_ over the changes that were operated on their society, or at least to think _rationally_, in the proper sense of the word.  
To solve their problems immediately, they had decided to _dissolve_ their opponents.  
For this sake, they thought that the best thing was to destroy the peace and never let it be again.  
They had also decided that their state needed to change, and not for good.  
What practically happened was that the rights of a part of the people, a small percentage, were deleted, _completely _deleted_._  
After this, it became completely impossible – even unbelievable – to come back to the origin of that fucking idea, that some humans weren't worth being humans.  
The restriction of the rights had immediately had effects on the government's behaviour towards the people: the dictatorship became more and more violently oppressive, the violence became a habit, every citizen could be deprived of his rights, of his properties or be simply killed through violence.  
The military violence signed the state, and only in the first days the Constitution, laws and morale were forgotten.

The Ninjas who had left the country alone to go to the Sand Country were now the only ones who could save _their_ country; so, when they came back, the oppressed ones (actually the survivors from Uchiha clan) hoped they would save them or protect them.  
This would have been completely impossible if those Ninjas had come back by themselves; but, luckily, the Sand had agreed to help Konoha, and a big part of the Sand Army had come with them.  
Though the dictatorship had been so strong, in its using violence, it lost all its courage when in a real and thorough War, and feigned a battle while it tried, with all its members, to leave the country.  
Their efforts were all vane, since the "sandy" Army annihilated them all, and made sure that none of them survived.  
But the ultra might of the Sand Country and the violence of the dictatorship had overlapped, in the people's view; they could simply not consider the liberators as saviours – the liberators were foreigners, and the foreigners never want the wellness of the state.  
Moreover, the sandy Army had used much more violence than that of which the dictatorship had been capable.  
The people, now, wanted simply NO VIOLENCE, no dictatorship, no conflict and only peace and freedom.  
A soldier from the _sandys_ said that it looked "like people una tantum had menses and they must spill a shitload of blood."  
Konoha's Ninjas couldn't help agreeing.  
But a few of them could neither convince themselves that their own people could do something like that.  
The whole issue was too strange in itself, to believe in it.  
Something wasn't right, and it was evident.  
Something wasn't right, and it was a big something.  
In the whole thing – the violence had been too strong, too big, too _violent_ – too _concentrated_.  
Why then all of this all of a sudden? Hadn't this problem been there for decades?  
Why then now, when they all had other things to think about, to solve, to reflect on and think about, why then _now_?  
Why then had this explosion of violence become a dictatorship? O  
h yeah, clear, but this was obvious.  
If this international situation came to a war, a dictatorship was the only government that could guarantee the protection of the people and the state and the land and – at any price – a _safety_.  
Even if the people had been mostly erased (but _from their _own_ dictatorship, not from the enemy_) in the end, _the State_ would resist – the State would be left over – with the benefit of hindsight, this choice wasn't so much senseless.  
But this didn't, of course, mean that a part of the state could _erase_ the other part.  
And this, then, was something that Konoha's people could NEVER be convinced of, _without_ – and there was the issue, now – _external interference_.  
But WHO, which Nation would support this dictatorship and this violence – _for what_?  
Was Konoha's situation not dangerous enough?  
Was it not clear enough, before this war, that Konoha was scarcely able to protect itself?  
FOR WHICH SAKE had all this shit happened?  
The dead were uncountable, Konoha was nearly completely annihilated – _destroyed.  
_WHO WANTED THIS – all clear.  
Yeah.  
The only one.  
The only one, who could –

„OROCHIMARU!"  
„WHAT?" screamed Guy as reply.  
"What?" asked a calm voice, laughing.  
Kakashi turned and saw HIM – THERE – in the middle of the street – _the only man, who_ – come on, 'Man'..._being who could plan this catastrophe – _  
"YOU! OROCHIMARU!"  
"Don't look me in that way. If it had been me to put up this _slaughter_ I wouldn't be here now, ISN'T IT?"  
"..." Kakashi growled and said nothing.  
Kakashi was the Hokage – practically, he was the King of that city.  
And he could scarcely allow himself to leave it – he had left the government in Shikamaru's father's hands and now government, Shikamaru's father and his hands had been extinguished.  
TRUE – he hadn't proofs against Orochimaru – TRUE – Konoha's constitution (former constitution) said that also evident criminals should have a trial – TRUE – but Orochimaru was ALREADY an enemy of Konoha – ALREADY A CRIMINAL – and really...Wait a sec...  
"WHY THE FUCK are you here? You think I won't arrest you?"  
"Of course.  
Have you forgotten that – uhm – I am the only one Ma-_being_ able to help you against the Akatsuki?"  
"Where is Naruto?"  
"That is exactly why I'm here.  
Tobi has brought me the corpses of Naruto and Sai – he wanted also to make an alliance with me, but I _really_ CAN'T STAND that guy.  
In the end I came here to make an alliance with _you_.  
And moreover, this guy wanted to know _my Kabuto_ – uhm – nearer.  
And also if _my Kabuto_ isn't prone, for the moment, to love m- OH HI! Who are you?"  
Shikamaru looked him, gaping, baffled, and then looked _Kakashi_ – whose face was becoming blacker and blacker, the more Shikamaru lingered before answering.  
Finally Kakashi cleared his throat and Shikamaru winced, only to stutter:  
"Ah, yeah...I am...the son...of the man, the substitute of the Hoka-_Kakashi_..."  
"Huh.  
Your father's dead.  
Hum, Kakashi, say, know you that – Obito – yeah, Obito, _Tobi_, Kakashi" he smiled "couldn't believe me when I told him that you are Hokage? And he's also said-"  
"WAIT WAIT WAIT"  
"YEAHYEAHYEAHYEAH I know, Obito here Obito there Obito up Obito down.  
He's only the shadow of the man he used to be, Kakashi.  
He's killed your Naruto. And also Sai.  
And I can swear you, Kakashi, that he told me that he hasn't raped them both only because he isn't able to do it anymore. Kaka-"  
"The fuck did you just say?"  
"Well yeah, apparently it's become a mode..." went on the other, watching his nails.  
"Actually _Hidan _and _Kakuzu_ have raped the boys.  
I'm sorry, Kakashi.  
But I wanted to tell you one thing, this come first in truth, in this – international slaughter.  
I _can_ absorb Tobi's chakra like I did with Itachi and Jiraya.  
And I also heard that you believed that I had kidnapped the kids.  
No problem for me, but – the corpses...couldn't you take them? I can't go around with them all the time..."  
Kakashi didn't answer. He fell on his knees, moaning.  
Shikamaru, instead, asked:  
"WHO did all this brothel?"  
Orochimaru held a vulgar answer back and gave him another:  
"Akatsuki.  
More precisely, Obito, Kakuzu, Hidan – I really wish to kill them all soon – and many others.  
They came from different nations – I also believe I saw a man that I thought I had killed...now, this is a special technique, called Edo Tensei.  
It resuscitates the dead ones. Good, isn't it?"  
Shikamaru gulped.  
"How's called this man there? Do you know him?"  
"Yeah.  
I also think that your Jiraya knew him. He's called Uzumaki, Nagato Uzumaki. Nicknamed Pain."  
"Pain...?"  
Kakashi moaned violently.  
Shikamaru paralysed – frozen – all of a sudden.  
Wait.  
What had Orochimaru said? What happened to _his Fa-_  
Shikamaru knelt down.  
Orochimaru laughed – sad.  
Yeah, sad.  
Something, in this situation, in these circumstances, something changed in him – something called:  
'_I can't stand it. I don't want to stand it. Please stop. Halt. STOP IT!'_  
What got on his nerves that way?  
What was this nerve?  
_'This SLAUGHTER...this word is repulsive. LOATHSOME WORD. Infamous word. I hate this word.  
I HATE ALL OF THIS!'  
_„STOP CRYING!"_  
_ Kakashi was baffled, but he obeyed._  
_Then – complete silence.  
Dead silence._  
_Then Kakashi raised his head and said:_  
_"No, Orochimaru. No alliance."


	10. Ktema Es Aei

Ktema es aei

"Orochimaru! Come out motherfucker!"  
Tsunade screamed around throughout Orochimaru's hideout, but no one answered.  
It really seemed that the place was empty, the walls – dripping stones covered with moss – echoed and repeated her screams.  
"C'mon, I can't believe it!  
It's the motherfucking _fourth_ place we look in!  
Where the fuck has he gone?"  
"Tsunade, wouldn't it be better for us to come back home?"  
"Again that?  
_Shut the fuck up, Hinata, fuck._  
NO, IT'S NOT.  
We've got the order to find Orochimaru and so we're doing."  
"But, Tsu..."  
"And _I'm_ called SENSEI!"  
"Tsunade..." said Sakura, lightly.  
"Yes, darling?"  
"Mmh...that's however strange that we don't hear from the HQ since days.  
Something must have happened, back home.  
Shouldn't we at least send – someone of us – there, and the rest stays here?"  
"...That's completely fucking right.  
The intelligent you are, my dear.  
Sak-HINATA! Go back to Konoha.  
Call Deidara and he'll esc ort you. At least with him we can communicate.  
WHERE THE FUCK IS OROCHIMARU?"  
She screamed and swore and turned round the corner – and screamed again.  
"The fuck...?"  
"In Konoha.  
He's in Konoha, Orochimaru.  
I should have gone with him, but now I understand...and...from physician to physician..._would you mind healing me?"_  
There was Kabuto, lying on the ground, watching them – in his hands weapons and in his eyes FEAR.  
"They came...they were four.  
That...Akatsuki. They stole...the body of that guy from Konoha..."  
Tsunade gasped:  
"BODY? Dead? Naruto? Which guy?"  
"Naa...the white haired guy...the guy of toads..."  
"JIRAYA'S BODY? Tobi? Akatsuki? The fuck do they do with –"  
"All clear."  
Kabuto stood up as soon as the healing finished.  
"Right now you all have to go to Konoha and I'll come too. Orochimaru is waiting for me."  
Tsunade stood up slowly and grabbed his arm, pale as a sheet.  
"The fuck does Orochimaru in Konoha?"  
"..." Kabuto leered her silently. "The fuck has DANZOU done in Konoha.  
A dictatorship.  
I think Orochimaru is alright, he should contact me as soon as he reaches Kakashi.  
He brought the boys' corpses there.  
Oh, _yeah_.  
Akatsuki killed them.  
When they came here...I could scarcely defend myself.  
Luckily they weren't properly those of Akatsuki – they were only other guys from their allies.  
Those two, Kakuzu and Hidan...  
They have a certain _idea of violence_ that they like to use on people before killing them...luckily you're arrived later.  
I don't know if they think of that only like Orochimaru – on males, I mean."  
"...God. Naruto and Sai...?"  
"Naruto and Sai.  
One of them stated that if it weren't he to do it, 'Sasuke _darling_ Uchiha' would."  
Tsunade swallowed a comment with tears:  
'_At least – had it been Sasuke'_.  
"What do they want to do with Jiraya's body?" she asked, instead.  
"That's a thing I must talk about with Orochimaru first.  
He's always got the priority on me, you can understand – no, don't understand _that_ – I didn't mean..."  
Tsunade chuckled, unwillingly.  
Sakura watched Kabuto and didn't comment.  
Kabuto watched her in reply and didn't comment, but smiled.  
They called Deidara.  
Kabuto burst out, when he saw him: "Are you brain-addled? Still here? Didn't you feel them coming?"  
"...Yeah. But I have orders to follow.  
That's actually a problem, I can't take you all in on a single ride. Someone has to wait here.  
What about – oh, your choice..."  
He was nervous – he had decided he wanted to smoke, and of course he _couldn't_ – we mean, he would simply EXPLODE.  
You laughed?  
Tsunade was distracted. The total, utmost squalor of that death...what would Kakashi say?  
WAIT.  
Kakashi _knew_.  
If he was in Konoha, Kakashi had surely known...  
"Try again to reach the HQ, Sakura. There must be a way to contact them..."  
In Konoha, under Shikamaru's father's corpse, a walkie-talkie rang – in vain.  
Shikamaru and Kakashi were still kneeling down, thinking – Orochimaru had been so silent.  
The entire city was silent. Only a child wailed – near them – probably alone.  
It took five minutes for Kakashi to realize it and lift the head – finding _Orochimaru_ right in front of him, looking him, WORRIED.  
_Orochimaru_ WORRIED?  
"..." Kakashi stood up, grabbed Shikamaru's arm and lifted him up too.  
Shikamaru moaned and sobbed.  
Orochimaru sighed, stepped back, turned and went to another point of the city – to Shikamaru's father, whom he brought to the morgue.  
He also found the walkie-talkie there – he let it ring. Then it stopped. Then it began again. Orochimaru answered:  
"Mh?"  
"Kakashi?"  
"Tsunade?"  
"Orochimaru?"  
"Oh, hi."  
"THE FUCK, 'HI'? WHAT'S GOING ON? WHERE'S KAKASHI? DANZOU? THE DICTAT"  
"Everything's ended, calm the fuck down. Danzou's been killed, the Sand is an ally of yours, Kakashi's alright, a lot of people here are dead – there has been a fucking slaughter in your city, girl."  
"..._girl_...don't call me girl. I want to speak with Kakashi."  
"As soon as I find him. I suggested we allied, too, but he _rejected_. Where are you?"  
"...here's your Kabuto..."  
Tsunade passed the walkie-talkie to Kabuto without looking him.  
A dictatorship, a slaughter, dead people.  
Naruto, Jiraya.  
She cleared her throat, she held her breath, then a scream blasted out of her mouth, an incomprehensible, long, wailing scream full of profanity and blasphemy.  
No one commented, Kabuto went on talking with Orochimaru as nothing had happened.

It was only when they arrived in Konoha that Tsunade noticed '_OH, those blinks between him and Sakura...?  
Uh oh.'_  
Orochimaru WOULDN'T be so happy of this._  
_But, '_I don't give a fuck_'. _  
_She followed Kakashi's chakra trace and found him staggering with Shikamaru towards what was left of the Hokage's palace._  
_"Jesus Christ, I can't leave the place for a moment, that this shit happens..."_  
_"Shit happens, Tsunade...shit happens." sighed Kakashi in reply._  
_"Where are you going now?"_  
_"To the morgue. _  
_All the corpses have been brought there. _  
_There has been a complete slaughter. _  
_The entire Uchiha clan has been erased, in the end. _  
_A lot of Anbus – everyone – this has been a motherfucking hecatomb, Tsunade...a hecatomb...I didn't think..."_  
_Tsunade mumbled, as they walked.  
There was something else.  
There was a kind of pain in the air, that wasn't justified by the killings, the violence, the brothel._  
_NO._  
_There was something else._  
_He asked Kakashi to tell her everything, and so he did, saying _what he knew – _the refusal of human rights, the discrimination, the persecution, _those who slowed the march of evolution_._  
_Then Tsunade understood._  
_What she felt was what they all felt._  
Their people_. _  
_Their people did it. _  
_Their people accepted it. Their people, the peaceful people – _PEACEFUL?_ Ninjas, peaceful? Actually –  
WHEN, peaceful?_  
_What image had Konoha built of itself?_  
_What peacefulness – oh, my god. _  
_Slaughterers who define themselves GOOD and say that other slaughterers are WRONG._  
_Maybe that was the utility of all this international carnage._  
_The entire ninja world had to be rebuilt._  
_There was no doubt._  
_But there was still something else. _  
_This _racism_. _  
_This violence against innocent people – Ninjas had always had a code of honour, okay, a bit contorted and often wicked one – but STILL a code of honour._  
_This – my God, neither Yakuza behaved like this._  
_Kakashi told her that there had been NO CIVILIANS in that war._  
_No innocent people, no one was spared._  
_Children were killed as abruptly as they were criminals._  
_Konoha's population was _decimated_._  
_They hadn't got the Kyuubi, no more._  
_Akatsuki had got the Kyuubi. _  
_Akatsuki had caused this dictatorship. _  
_Akatsuki was able to put up a dictatorship _in an enemy country_._  
_Akatsuki had also other demons._  
_Akatsuki had threatened Orochimaru._  
_Akatsuki treated Orochimaru as he was of no importance. _Orochimaru_._  
_Akatsuki had kidnapped their Jinchuuriki and killed him like it was a joke for them._  
_Akatsuki – _knew Orochimaru's movements_. And _their movements.  
_Akatsuki – had entire nations, evidently more than one, by its side._  
_Akatsuki – could move anyone to its side, moreover._  
_Akatsuki – was evidently stronger than OROCHIMARU and all their countries._  
_Akatsuki – Akatsuki was the fucking end of the world._  
_A dawn, it will be – dipped in innocents' blood._  
_But if Akatsuki was stronger than Orochimaru and all their countries – which, by the way, as for now were TWO countries – Akatsuki still wasn't stronger than ALL THEIR COUNTRIES AND OROCHIMARU TOGETHER. _  
_Altogether._  
_That was the only chance..._  
_"Kakashi. _  
_Call Orochimaru back. _  
_We have to make the alliance."_  
_Kakashi nodded and didn't even reply. She knew better..._  
_Orochimaru was swearing._  
_Tsunade laughed. Kakashi didn't. Shikamaru sobbed._  
_

Orochimaru was swearing and cursing that "motherfucker of Tobi".  
EVEN JIRAYA'S BODY!  
"Can you understand HOW THE FUCK will he be strong with THAT BODY, fuck, THAT BODY?"  
"I know, Orochimaru-Sama.  
That was the only thing that shouldn't happen. I'm sorry I couldn't"  
"Shut up.  
I shouldn't have left you there alone. At least if I brought you here – I mean. Whatever."  
Kabuto gaped at him, swallowing hard.  
_The fuck was happening with Orochimaru_?  
The latter caught his glance and replied saying:  
"It's that Shikamaru boy. That boy has quite some effect on me. Don't be jealous, then..."  
Kabuto smiled and broke down crying.  
That had been more than enough for him.  
There wasn't a single thing in all his life that went _well enough to be acceptable_.  
And that was also with Orochimaru.  
He _didn't_ love, he _didn't_ admire, he _didn't_ respect, he _didn't _considerOrochimaru as a superior of his.  
Simply, Orochimaru had always been HIS ONLY CHANCE to survive.  
That was normal for him to keep staying by that cold-blooded fucking half monster of a slaughterer, as long as IT WAS HIS ONLY CHANCE.  
That was only something he hadn't taken into account, before – _that thing _ Orochimaru was thinking of.  
That was really too much.  
That was – he remembered what Orochimaru had done to Sasuke.  
It was so _simple for him – so justifiable_. 'Oh, look, I wanted it, so I took it'.  
Kabuto was fucking SCARED of that man, SCARED and he couldn't even let him see it, this would have been a PROVOCATION for Orochimaru.  
As long as he was his only chance, KABUTO WAS PRETTY FUCKED. UP.  
But here, everything was changing.  
Danzou had been killed.  
If the alliance got in – no. He couldn't leave Orochimaru. Orochimaru would NEVER accept that.  
In fact, he said:  
"Kabuto.  
We must go back there again, to pick up our things – it would be better if we came to live here, for the moment.  
Now, no, it's better if – you, don't move from this room.  
_I'M_ going."  
_'Fucking jealousy' _thought Kabuto.  
He didn't even nod.  
Orochimaru didn't even look at him and went away.  
Of _course_.  
No answer – no question – no negotiation – only ORDERS.  
There wasn't a chance of being alright beside Orochimaru, for him.  
There wasn't a chance, either, of LEAVING HIM – with his permission.  
Then Kabuto decided.  
It was and it had always been his job, that of the spy.  
The mercenary – to leave Orochimaru, _joining_ Akatsuki was a good chance...  
Then he decided, he stood up and went out of the room, on the street, watching out every fucking corner – he realized he was _panicking_ – being afraid of Orochimaru was more a CONDEMNATION that an _obsession_.  
Orochimaruphobia.  
That was it.  
Kabuto started to run, run and run until he left the city and continued running like an idiot, in the only direction he knew to be safe and sure: _opposite_ to their – no – _Orochimaru's_ hideouts.  
He found the Akatsuki, yeah, or well – _they _found _him_ – they took him in, and it all went good for a couple of days.  
Kabuto _knew_ a lot of things, but he _learned_ a lot of things then, right in the moment.  
Everyone talked with him.  
Tobi had decided to trust him, even if he had been so _dependant_ by Orochimaru.  
The only thing that he had to avoid was: Kakuzu and Hidan messing up with him.  
Messing up – you know, don't you?  
To keep Kabuto in the place and make him being obedient, it was enough to spell the magic word "Orochimaru" and he practically climbed the walls for the terror.  
Well, Tobi could quite understand.  
Kabuto was in a fucking maze now, and he didn't even know it.  
He had cornered himself, actually.  
He was trapped between Orochimaru and Kakuzu/Hidan.  
Poor thing, Kabuto.  
Tobi decided to drain as much information as he could from him, and then let K&H have their revelry.  
Poor thing, Kabuto.  
It's a bad thing in itself, being in the middle of a war – but if you even choose the criminal side...  
You know that WON'T end well, to you, don't you?  
Poor thing, Kabuto.

After a couple of days Tobi had finished his draining, K&H arrived and the same night Kabuto lost consciousness for the first time, regaining it five other times and losing it definitively seven days later.  
It was pretty much violent, of course – neither Kakuzu nor Hidan managed to spill a drop of collaboration from Kabuto.  
He didn't want and _he didn't want_ and he didn't want, and they did the same and _did it the same_ and did it the same.  
Hidan decided to NOT use Kabuto's body for his rites.  
Hidan decided to resurrect him in some way.  
Shit, _Orochimaru could do it_.  
They had to find a way, too – maybe that guy Pain...weren't they his allies?  
Or, better defined, his _subordinates_?  
Hadn't Pain asked him to be the sacrifice for his massive Edo Tensei?  
That could be.  
Yeah.  
Fucking Kabuto to death was a price worth paying, and he was completely sure that _that guy Pain_ would force him to do that shit the same, if he refused.  
So, that was an awesome shit of a barter.  
Kakuzu would have the worth without paying the price. Kakuzu was his brother, and moreover his mate.  
And you back up your mates, don't you?  
Poor thing Kabuto.  
As for now, he was dead, folded in some strange icy clothing that prevented him from rotting away like the corpse he was.  
Tobi told Hidan that they would meet Pain again in a short time.  
The boss was busy, he had to collect his forces to move the final strike against Konoha.  
The poor, little, helpless and nearly alone Konoha.  
The Sand was its only ally.  
The Sand had a Jinchuuriki too. That Jinchuuriki would help Konoha.  
That Jinchuuriki was their primary goal.  
Tobi began to prepare their sneak attack, to get Gaara and Shuukaku, kill the earlier and retain the latter.  
He thought of killing Kakashi immediately.  
Again, he thought of killing Kakashi immediately.  
Since years he thought of it. But he couldn't, _again and still_; he needed Kakashi. He needed his left eye.  
_His_ own left eye...

Kakashi's left eye watched CORPSES.  
Hundreds of corpses.  
They had begun to prepare a new graveyard, there wasn't simply ROOM ENOUGH for them all in the old one.  
Orochimaru came back.  
Shikamaru was sitting near the morgue door, on the ground, helpless, motionless and mute, looking in the void before him.  
Orochimaru passed by and didn't even dare to touch him.  
He stepped in – one step, two steps – he turned to Shikamaru and said:  
"Do you want me to revive him?"  
Shikamaru thought. Three tenths of second.  
"Yes. Then he'll tell me what he wants to do.  
_Survive_ or die again."  
"As soon as this shit's over, my dear. Kakashi. Now. We got the alliance?"  
"...Gaara is alright.  
He says we can only do so.  
Orochimaru..."  
"Kakashi. Let me talk with you a moment – in private."  
Kakashi sighed heavily.  
"_This is not the right moment, _Oroch-"  
"KAKASHI!"  
Guy stepped in, panting. "Fuck it...I've looked for you...everywhere..."  
Kakashi looked him, completely stunned.  
"Those fuckers..." went on Guy "They've attacked...from the air...they had...incredible things...they dropped bombs...Kakashi, Kakashi...that's...  
Kakashi, everything is wasted, Kakashi, I AM SO SORRY, I had to keep everything under control, Kakashi, Kakashi, _I'm so sorry..._"  
While talking, Guy stepped to him and ended up crying on his shoulder, hugging him.  
Kakashi didn't speak for a while.  
He had COMPLETELY FORGOT about Guy.  
_How could he forgot about Guy_?  
Or well, Naruto...the thing here...the war...GUY...his schoolmate...his childhood friend...GUY...  
He simply decided to not say a word.  
He looked at Orochimaru, who was rather stunned himself – looking alternatively at him, at Guy, and at Shikamaru.  
Kakashi understood.  
No, he didn't even think of laughing.  
Everything was too much – fucked up – erased – wasted – razed – GROUND ZERO.  
_Void and Still._  
All hope was gone, and it was gone to the dogs.

As they went out, their moral sank even more.  
NOTHING.  
Razed houses.  
No corpses on the streets, no more, they had brought them all in the morgue.  
Ruins.  
Blood everywhere.  
Razed houses.  
EMPTY HOUSES.  
Blood everywhere, in the houses.  
STILL HOUSES.  
GHOST HOUSES.  
A ghost town.  
A dead town.  
A KILLED TOWN.  
Orochimaru sighed and wept, while walking.  
Yes, yes, he wept. We said it had been too much for him. This was too much for everyone.  
Orochimaru then said, to the three of them altogether:  
"Well, what about the alliance?"  
Kakashi nodded. Shikamaru looked him. Guy exclaimed:  
"Well, that's just a good thing, Kak, isn't it?"  
He hadn't called him so on purpose.  
Kakashi neither noticed it.  
He smiled to him, he nodded and, instinctively, rubbed his forehead against Guy's.  
_'Like kitten'_ thought Orochimaru.  
Shikamaru smiled.  
Then he abruptly started talking, fast and rather coldly:  
"We have to find a Jinchuuriki for the Tentails now.  
So when we get at Akatsuki and bring them the demons away, we have someone to host them.  
Clear, no? Actually...we have to prepare a profile..."  
Orochimaru nodded.  
Kakashi watched him and Guy asked:  
"Why a profile?"  
Orochimaru answered: "Not everyone is able to do it, you understand..."  
"What would you think of a psychological profile?"  
"Then, then, yeah. But keep in mind one thing: _red haired do it better_."  
That was THEN.  
When the three of them looked him, locked eyes – and they all laughed.  
Shikamaru laughed and obviously ended up crying, Orochimaru patting his shoulders and assuring him that  
he would let him meet his father "the soonest possible."  
And in the meantime he was thinking:  
_'Now, the fuck do I do with Kabuto?'_


	11. Skias Onar Anthropos

_Kakashi laughed too, in saying:_  
_ "Yeah, maybe. You're thinking of a foursome?"  
__"KAKASHI! Not Gaara! I can't stand it!" burst out Naruto._  
_ "Okay, okay, alright…a time or another we should talk seriously of this thing…we can't go on this way…" answered Kakashi.  
_

"I can remember when it was good - Moments of happiness in bloom"...here comes the foursome Guy/Kakashi/Orochimaru/Shikamaru :3

* * *

Skias onar anthropos

Shikamaru was thinking too much.  
First of all he was thinking of his personal business – his FATHER, namely. Then – _Orochimaru_.  
Orochimaru had changed his uniform.  
He had decided to dress in a way that was somewhat similar to Anbu's uniform.  
A black slim-fit sleeveless shirt – WOW – black trousers, military trousers but _low waist _– WOW! – and combat boots, which was a total revolution among ninjas.  
In Itachi's body, moreover.  
Now he had half Itachi's face, half his own – or well, he had Itachi's face with Orochimaru's expressions.  
Fuck it, Shikamaru liked that guy.  
And Kakashi liked Guy.  
That was obvious – that was maybe the reason why Kakashi had allowed him, Shikamaru, to _think_ about Orochimaru.  
Who, moreover, was nearly constantly harassing the two of them – Shikamaru when Kakashi wasn't there and Kakashi when Guy wasn't there.  
But more than this – more than anything – Shikamaru was thinking about the demons thing.  
The Jinchuuriki thing.  
Not only had he had the idea – now he was even planning EVERYTHING.  
He decided which scholars could or couldn't get into the research.  
He decided which techniques to use.  
He decided in which directions to look for what.  
He decided which resources they had to use.  
He decided WHO did WHAT – and that was the most important thing.  
Then he was also helping Kakashi in putting the alliance together.  
The Sand had had many problems in accepting Orochimaru's help – that was also happened with a small fraction of Konoha's ninjas.  
"Orochimaru's gain hasn't been at the expense of Konoha?" said the haters.  
No one ever answered.  
The aftermath of Orochimaru's last bullshitting had still to end. That was undeniable.  
But couldn't they see _it was ending_?  
Then, it was Orochimaru to answer, in the end.  
"My choice is NOT made" said he "I have gone against you and have hurt you and okay, that has been mutual.  
Now aren't we nil-nil?  
No one has gained a thing.  
I haven't killed more people than any of your heroes.  
Let me repair the damage I've done, if you consider it being so.  
This is my hometown.  
I _will _defend it.  
Clear?"  
Konoha reflected.  
"Where insecurity abounds, the least bad is the best" said some peasant.  
And even ninjas don't dare to contradict peasants.  
Though their history said "DON'T" the up-to-time logic said "DO".  
Their history was full of bad instances, or well, instances of bad things – as for alliances.  
Ninjas' alliances had always been ephemeral as butterflies – anyone knew that any ally could turn to enemy – or, even worse, _turn out to be_ an enemy.  
Anyways the thing worked.  
Kakashi worked hard, Orochimaru was incredibly cooperative.  
He promised, he proofed, he accepted, he neglected, he abjured, he vowed.  
The Sand in the end accepted.  
The Sand people were intelligent people – the desert trains you like fuck to life.  
The desert trains and educates you.  
Need, drought, poverty, scarcity of meanings – these are all things that make you intelligent and reasonable soon.  
Gaara was the perfect instance.  
He was 16 – and he thought like an old man.  
So, that was the idea: Any ally could turn to enemy, so any enemy could turn to ally.  
Serpents and deserts have always had a good relationship.  
As for Konoha – Konoha was so tired of the bullshit itself had done, that anything would be acceptable to come out of it.  
Konoha was tired of being under internal and external threat: at least, having Orochimaru and the Sand as allies meant _not having them as enemies._  
At least for the time going.  
Orochimaru helped a lot in Konoha.  
All of his magic and his jutsus – he built up houses, cleaned streets, healed anyone, built barriers, trained militaries.  
Not that, in the beginning, he had not thought of _being paid_ – in some way, straight away or after the war would end – for what he was doing.  
But he told this to Shikamaru, and Shikamaru wasn't pleased with it.  
"Sell not a deed of generosity.  
You have already seen what it's like, to be a traitor.  
You've played the rebel and now you're begging to be welcomed back home.  
You already know what it feels like – okay, drop _feel_, what it IS like – when the illustrious name you had becomes a hissing and a reproach among your brothers.  
Drop this shit, Oro. Try being good.  
It has never hurt anyone" ended he, sighing and resuming his work.  
Orochimaru took the advice – sensible advice – and helped trying not to think about _his personal gain_.  
But for one thing.  
KAKASHI.

Shikamaru – it was just a matter of time.  
Shikamaru had already let Orochimaru embrace him, kiss him on the forehead and touching him – nearly – everywhere.  
But KAKASHI.  
Guy – was not so stupid – and had quite seen his trials on Kakashi.  
Guy was always going around with Kakashi, Guy witnessed everything happening to Kakashi.  
Guy saw those trials.  
Guy went angry.  
He blocked Orochimaru, out of Kakashi's sight, and tried to make it clear: "Keep the motherfucking relationship on a strictly business booting".  
He sounded bitter – but more than that, he sounded _worried_.  
Orochimaru laughed, sneering, and answered: "Would he like knowing what you're doing right now?"  
Guy didn't answer, grabbed Orochimaru's collar and watched him menacingly.  
Orochimaru sighed and breathed deep in.  
Obviously the message had not gone across.  
He spoke slower, higher and with a snarl twisting his cruel mouth into a strange shape below his blazing eyes.  
"Keep OUR fucking relationship on a business booting, fucker.  
Or I'll end up killing you.  
Understood?"  
Then Kakashi called Guy and the latter had to drop the thing there.  
Orochimaru and Guy never talked about this again.  
Orochimaru did both what he wanted to do and what Guy wanted him to do.  
That was normal, to Orochimaru.  
Then he had the strange feeling of being dangerous, for Kakashi.  
Kakashi was still incredibly psychologically fragile – that Naruto thing, the wound was still bleeding.  
The only time they had talked about it, Kakashi had said:  
"Aren't we guilty of it?"  
Of course he meant: '_Ain't _I _guilty of it?_'  
Guy was the only one to get the answer right:  
"Yes, we ARE ALL GUILTY OF IT."  
Kakashi replied:  
"Couldn't we do something we've not done?"  
Orochimaru answered:  
"Possibly."  
Shikamaru answered:  
"Probably."  
Guy asked:  
"How guilty would that make us?"  
Kakashi answered:  
"Guilty enough."  
Orochimaru thought '_a total victim' _with an odd mixture of compassion and scorn.  
And so, Orochimaru could only impact violently on that victim's balance – changing too much, asking too much, implying too much, and putting too much at risk.  
No, that was better, for the moment – that Kakashi stayed with Guy.  
Moreover, what Orochimaru felt for Kakashi was purely a sexual thing.  
A lot of other people would do, if not Kakashi.  
Guy was evidently in love with Kakashi.  
And Kakashi trusted Guy so much – even if Guy was so stupid, Kakashi was always looking upon him, to understand what he had to do.  
Orochimaru had not great difficulties in leaving them to themselves.  
In truth he was scarcely seeing Kakashi, since they were quite never in the same place.  
As we said, Kakashi was always going around with Guy – Shikamaru partly with them and partly with "the Scholars".  
Konoha was building a proper Academy in its bosom.  
An academy which had a research to do, with a specified goal – a research which involved philosophy, epistemology, physics, biology, wizardry, and DEMONS.  
Orochimaru and the Academy changed everything.  
The sand moved half of its army on Konoha, moreover – security, safety, order, culture, _normality_.  
After a while, it seemed to be the same as it had been before.  
It _seemed_.  
Konoha was blistering.  
Konoha was seething.  
As an adjunct to the system he already had to manage, Shikamaru found himself also busy with the militaries.  
Orochimaru trained them, and Shikamaru had to choose officers and things like this.  
All the strategy was up to him.  
The problem was – he wanted to put police and Anbus together with 'normal' ninjas.  
And the three of them weren't so happy with this.  
Anbus were Anbus, policemen were policemen, and militaries were militaries.  
But Shikamaru was fucking stubborn.  
Logical thinking makes you stubborn.  
You know you're right.  
But those "fucking warm-blooded" ones didn't want to understand it. So Shikamaru _forced _them to do it.  
Kakashi said he didn't give a fuck.  
The Anbus were continuously creating problems – they were avowed enemies of Kakashi's government – so FUCK IT – just to say FUCK THEM.  
It makes perfect sense politically – so why bother doing anything for people who aren't going to support you?  
Morally, it's another thing, okay – but what has morality got to do with politics?

The research – that was another thing.  
It seemed really that – you can't put more than two humans in a fucking pool without having them immediately starting to fucking quarrel.  
Konoha's academics warred – illiterate fool became a leit motiv.  
Advances in research were many but slow and scattered around, still discrete.  
Shikamaru tried to lead them – that became soon impossible.  
So, Kakashi decided to move _also _Orochimaru in that research thing – that meant, Orochimaru and Shikamaru were _constantly together._  
Shikamaru, as we said, had moved to live in the Hokage's palace – Guy also – Kakashi of course lived there – Orochimaru had been housed there.  
Fuck it.  
That is quite simple to understand.  
Orochimaru and Shikamaru worked together, lived together, they even bathed together.  
It took them a week, then the fact happened.  
They were in Shikamaru's office – yeah, they both had their personal offices – and they were talking about the demons, properly.  
Shikamaru was trying to make Orochimaru talk of himself – he said:  
"You're like – a bit like a Jinchuuriki, fuck it, aren't you?  
You have this serpent thing – okay you two are now completely _fused_ – but you saw how it's like, to have another conscience in yours, isn't it?"  
"Actually that's another conscience in your _brain_.  
The two consciences are always divided – discrete.  
It begins like a fearful picture of a vision, which appals your senses with hideous fantasies, but convinces not your reason.  
It's like a dream, an empty vision of the night, which, were it a waking reality, would not affect you."  
Shikamaru listened carefully and went to sit on the desk, near Orochimaru – who was sitting in Shikamaru's place, overbearing as he always was.  
What Shikamaru liked in him, moreover.  
Orochimaru stretched the legs on the desk, crossed the arms and went on:  
"As long as my control rate stayed constant, I could decide what the serpent did or didn't.  
Then my control rate started to fade.  
It was him – that is his way of entering a body.  
I could force him out, but I didn't want.  
I didn't want.  
A serpent is not only fascinating – it's kind of – _soothing_.  
It's not only pleasuring, it's _healing_.  
Serpents are like water.  
A thing I didn't understand, and you can clearly see it now, is that serpents _always change_.  
I changed.  
You see it.  
I changed a lot, and I hadn't foreseen I would do it.  
Now, the things I've done impair my future.  
I have done unforgivable things, I have done things that should be considered capital sins one by one.  
My lot in life has been this serpent."  
Shikamaru pulled his legs on the table, crooking and holding his knees with his arms.  
"Often I realize I want to be alone, just like you do when you want to talk with yourself..."  
Shikamaru's eyes were blazing.  
He leaned his elbows on his knees, hands dropped down, joined together.  
Orochimaru began to play with one of Shikamaru's bracelets.  
Shikamaru smiled.  
Orochimaru went on talking:  
" ...and in truth what I'm really looking for is the demon, the bad bastard, the radge inside of me who shuts down my brain.  
Then I find him and I think '_whoah, it's okay'_.  
All I feel though, is an ugly, choking anger."  
Orochimaru's hand hung from Shikamaru's bracelets, Shikamaru watched it, thoughtful – there was something hypnotic in Orochimaru, when he talked.  
Then Orochimaru tranquilly moved the hand on the other's knee, and left it there, still.  
Shikamaru looked him, waiting for him to talk again.  
"As for the control thing – once he's taken control, a demon or an animal spirit – the law is always the same: he can't control what you do, and you can't control what he does.  
You can only collaborate – you convince him or he convinces you."  
The hand, between Shikamaru's knees.  
"No one can really control it, but I've known some fuckers, like myself, to accommodate it."  
Shikamaru's legs rattled.  
Orochimaru bit the inside of his lips, thinking, with a half smile – as always – stamped on his face.  
Shikamaru leant a bit backwards, loosened the hands and put them on his knees.  
Naturally following the movements, his knees spread a bit.  
His hands touched Orochimaru's hand.  
For a moment.  
Orochimaru's hand swept lower and stopped on his thigh.  
Shikamaru couldn't breathe.  
Then Orochimaru laughed, moved the hand and grabbed the bracelet again.  
He sat back and smiled to himself, not even looking at the other as he talked reflectively, now without any  
bitterness: "Funny how it all works out, eh?"  
Shikamaru laughed sadly. He grabbed Orochimaru's hand and moved it back on the thigh.  
Orochimaru resisted.  
One second.

Obviously they didn't fuck the first day.  
Orochimaru COULD control himself – or well, he thought he would let it all out with Kabuto, _when he came back from where the fuck he was gone to_.  
Kabuto, Kabuto.  
Was he escaped? WHERE?  
Kabuto, NO. Kakashi, NO. Shikamaru, NO.  
That was why they didn't fuck the first day, but the third.  
Poor thing, Orochimaru was imploding.  
Then you have to take into account their "Kai" healing – as long as the active part had energy to give, there was no reason to stop...  
The next day Orochimaru was happy like fuck.  
Shikamaru was happy like fuck either but prayed any existing or possibly existing God to NOT LET HIM MEET KAKASHI 'cause really, Kakashi would tear him apart.  
All those Gods either didn't listen to him or didn't exist.  
Kakashi called him in his office, and Shikamaru was pleased.  
At least Guy would have been there.  
NO.  
Shikamaru entered the room and blushed as soon as Kakashi watched him.  
Then he became violet.  
Kakashi was cut in half between the impulse to laugh and the impulse to kill Shikamaru with a Raikiri.  
Then he chose the second – but Shikamaru had already broken down in tears, still blushing, even shaking – goddamn, you cannot make a person feel like that 'cause you're jealous.  
Kakashi couldn't simply avoid being moved – there was an actual reason to be moved, isn't it?  
He _could_ avoid making Shikamaru feel like that.  
"OKAY, OKAY, SHUT IT DOWN, okay, fuck it, Shikamaru"  
The other held his breath for a second, looked him, sobbed again and started to cry anew.  
"It happens, it's normal! DON'T WORRY! My god, how sensitive you are..."  
And here he eventually laughed.  
Shikamaru calmed slowly down.  
Kakashi stood up and invited him to seat down, Shikamaru did and continued to avoid Kakashi's eyes.  
Kakashi sat down himself.  
"Right hitting the spot, I'd say..." he caught his breath and watched him, seriously.  
"Well, c'mon, there's nothing broken. He hasn't possessed your soul, I mean.  
But I ACTUALLY would say – wouldn't it just be BETTER – IF, to say – you and I worked a bit more together, the next months?"  
Shikamaru nodded. "But..."  
"I know, I KNOW. Still him. Well, keep him. I keep Guy...that's a matter of fact."  
He paused and looked the wall for a second.  
"How is it called?" he said then, laughing stupidly "A foursome?"  
Shikamaru burst suddenly out laughing, fell literally off the chair, holding his stomach, hit the ground and stood up – still laughing.  
Kakashi stood suddenly up, went round the desk and threw Shikamaru on it – Shikamaru laughed helplessly – Kakashi embraced him and kissed him, nearly choking him, while he still was laughing.  
Twenty minutes later Shikamaru threw him off himself, slapped him – actually violently – and laughed saying:  
"Are you fucking gone mad?"  
Kakashi didn't speak and kissed him again.  
Then he stopped, looked Shikamaru with blazing eyes and asked:  
"...how's he, in the end?"  
Shikamaru looked him, smiled and sighed – _no words needed_.  
Kakashi felt that he was again cut in two – _'WOW OROCHIMARU'_ and '_is he BETTER THAN ME for Shika?'_  
Wow, Orochimaru.  
There was also a part of Kakashi's conscience that thought '_Hey, faggot, that guy has killed Sasuke, killed Jiraya and also raped the earlier. Fuck it, Kakashi...it's worse than a betrayal, from a moralistic point of view.'_  
Kakashi neither listened to it.  
He kissed Shikamaru, went to the door, locked it and came back.  
Shikamaru sighed heavily and complained:  
"You're unstoppable...you two won't leave me time to work, Kakashi."  
Kakashi didn't answer, bowed on him and began to undress him quickly – Shikamaru continued to laugh, when he wasn't kissing Kakashi – that was all _so too much fucking beautiful._  
Kakashi was different, really different from Orochimaru.  
The warm and the cold blooded, let's say.  
Kakashi was also a bit less – uhm, let's say – _direct_ than Orochimaru.  
It meant that Kakashi at least _paused some ten minutes_ between a – rush – and another.  
Orochimaru practically didn't stop. That was the cold blood – he didn't feel fatigue. He could go on for days, thought Shikamaru.  
Both Kakashi and Orochimaru had the habit of _talking_ in action.  
But both of them had also the habit of – _forgetting_ to prepare Shikamaru a little, before acting.  
With the both of them, Kais were as frequent as kisses...  
Kakashi decided to avoid telling Guy about this.  
Shikamaru decided to avoid telling his mother about this.  
They both decided to tell Orochimaru about this _the SOONEST possible_.

"WHEN DOES GUY LEAVE THAT GUY ALONE FOR A DAY OR TWO?"  
"Oro...I think it won't happen."  
"I want the threesome, Shika."  
Shikamaru blushed immediately. "YOU CAN'T TELL ME THIS LIKE THAT!"  
Orochimaru laughed, kissed him and pressed their crotches together.  
He moved his one to slip between Shikamaru's thighs – looking for a way in, just to say.  
Shikamaru laughed.  
"You're a fucking addicted. You're a junkie. You're no more cold-blooded than-"  
Orochimaru kissed him, pawed his ass and pressed the jack on the plug – Shikamaru began to count down.  
Six, five, four – Orochimaru looked him in the eyes, Shikamaru nodded – three – Shikamaru's trousers – two – Orochimaru's trousers – one – their boxers – zero – in.  
Mathematical.  
Another main difference between Orochimaru and Kakashi was that Orochimaru never let go of his mouth.  
He could kiss him three fucking hours long, and he had also already done it.  
Maybe a reason for that was that Shikamaru would simply scream in pain, if Orochimaru didn't do so – at least the first two minutes.  
Then it was all downhill from there.  
And while Kakashi's mean performance lasted fifteen minutes, Orochimaru's – maybe 'cause of the cold blood – lasted twenty-five minutes.  
That would have been fucking hurting, weren't it for the Kais.  
Orochimaru was the perfect distraction, and that pain – temporary pain followed by ecstasy – was the best medicine for Shikamaru, at the time.  
His father.  
That had been a bad blow.  
When he was with Orochimaru and they weren't fucking, Shikamaru thought already less of his father's death – but in those moments, won from grief, Shikamaru literally thanked God for the suffering.  
And they had even tried to reverse it.  
And Orochimaru had also fucking liked it!  
Shikamaru didn't, not really.  
He could play the active role nearly with anyone – among those who were still alive – of his age.  
Orochimaru was too _precious_ to be wasted like this.  
But the threesome, the threesome...the demons...the Jinchuuriki...the alliance...Konoha.  
Konoha had found another ally.  
The Mist country.  
Yeah, their old enemy...friend or foe?  
They were allies, now.  
Kakashi had to send someone to put down their agreements.  
He chose Guy.  
Guy went, with Tsunade – that was a good choice, of course, and sending Neji with them was even a better one.  
The Mist honestly wanted to be on Konoha's side.  
But better checked then fucked, as we may say – Neji had screened their consciences and they were alright.  
Guy was away from Konoha for three days – and in those three days the crack happened.

Orochimaru took Kakashi as soon as Guy left the village.  
Neither of the two was seen out of the palace the entire day.  
The day after they brought in Shikamaru.  
And the thing Shikamaru liked the most was _watching the others_ acting!  
The first morning Kakashi woke Orochimaru up, taking a certain type of breakfast – and of course Orochimaru was A LOT pleased.  
Probably he asked Kakashi to have also that type of lunch.  
The second morning Kakashi woke up both Orochimaru and Shikamaru.  
Orochimaru liked it the most – that was _soothing_ in a way, it was like having someone taking extremely care of you.  
Therefore Orochimaru began to use a jutsu of his – a cleansing jutsu – so that they neither had to wash themselves.  
Apparently Kakashi was quite talented for it – and he also had evidently a thing for it.  
The third day, to Shikamaru's displease, Orochimaru chose to concentrate on Kakashi.  
Guy would come back soon.  
With Shikamaru, he could fuck anytime – with Kakashi he couldn't.  
Only at sunset they involved Shikamaru, the three of them altogether.  
Kakashi was nearly exhausted.  
Shikamaru wasn't neither thinking.  
Orochimaru was happy.  
He had just had the most elating news of his life – Kakashi HADN'T – with Guy – yet.  
HA – I came first. HA HA HA.  
First with the one and first with the other.  
As soon as Guy went back, Orochimaru had one of the saddest news of his life.  
Kabuto was dead.  
Guys from the Mist village had found the body, dropped on a river's edge near them.  
There was also another problem.  
Guy had came back when the three of them had already washed themselves seriously, tided up everything and were tranquilly feigning a business conversation in Kakashi's office.  
That didn't help, with him.  
It was not his instinct, it was not Kakashi's face or something on him.  
It was OROCHIMARU'S facial expression.  
That FUCKING VICTORIOUS GLANCE.  
Orochimaru leered, smiled bastardly – he giggled and rapped with his fingers on the desk.  
Kakashi looked him, looked Guy, sprang up and said:  
"Okay, you two, I'll let you know."  
Shikamaru and Orochimaru nodded and went away.  
Only Kakashi knew Guy enough – only Kakashi knew that he had comprehended. And only Kakashi knew how sensitive Guy was.  
Guy appreciated the reaction.  
He didn't appreciate at all the _actions_ that had evidently been performed.  
He wondered about _data_ – HOW LONG HOW MUCH THREE TWO WHO HOW Kakashi, fuck it...  
He decided to ask Kakashi.  
Later.  
He walked to the door, he locked it, he went to Kakashi and began to hit him.  
Kakashi didn't react to the first blows – then it really began to hurt and he raised his hands, grabbing Guy's wrists.  
Guy stopped suddenly, swallowed tears and grabbed Kakashi's shirt.  
He didn't say a word; he hugged him crying a little in rage.  
Kakashi hugged him too and they stood there silently, Kakashi's face in Guy's hair and Guy's face in Kakashi's hair.  
C'mon, they had been best friends for twenty years.  
That was why Kakashi suddenly realized something, lifted the head and said to Guy, locking eyes sidelong:  
"That is only that, Guy. That is only that. It's not like with you. It's nothing more than – that."  
He paused, looking Guy.  
Who breathed in, relaxing and then saying "Aaah..."


	12. Deinos, Phobos, Enyos

_Orochimaru answered:_  
_"Possibly."_  
_Shikamaru answered:_  
_"Probably."_  
_Guy asked:_  
_"How guilty would that make us?"_  
_Kakashi answered:_  
_"Guilty enough."_

_"Possibly. Probably. How guilty would that make us? Guilty enough."_

Trainspotting, I. Welsh

* * *

Deinos, phobos, enyos

He then lifted the head, watched Kakashi and slapped him violently again.  
"There's not a chance in hell you're gonna leave it _of your own will_, isn't it?"  
Kakashi looked him with wide eyes – it was the first time in his life that he was _scared_ of Guy.  
"No...don't even begin this way, Guy, just let me expl" SLAP "Fuck it, are you gonna go on like this?"  
Aren't you simply gonna let me talk?  
The fuck is wrong with you?  
You've never been like th-"  
"YOU'VE NEVER BEEN SO MOTHERFUCKING IMPOSSIBLE!  
Do you realize – REALIZE – that's Orochimaru – _that guy has killed Sasuke – _SASUKE, Kakashi – do you remember him?"  
As he stopped talking, he slapped Kakashi again.  
"The fuck..." said the latter "I do, okay, _I motherfucking understand_ – that's only...you can...cannot...fuck it, man HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?"  
Guy watched him again, angrily – violently – dangerously – and burst out laughing.  
"That's not – you _cannot_ say this! How the fuck am I supposed to answer? That's...actually...him. He's...okay, I understand you.  
That's still Orochimaru, though!"  
Kakashi leered him with a slight smile, laughed shortly – like an idiot – and said:  
"Not that he doesn't like you the same..."  
"Man, what the fuck should it mean that he does like me?  
That scoundrel would fuck the dawn, had it some hair!"  
Kakashi burst out laughing, violently – he grabbed Guy's shirt and hung from there, nearly choking.  
Guy smiled.  
"How good of you, you ain't even tried to lie to me..."  
Then he patted Kakashi's hair and kissed him lightly.  
Kakashi said:  
"So, is it alright with the Mist Country?"  
"Yeah, like. They're with us.  
With Orochimaru we have such a strength, actually – moreover, the Sand...has decided to give us unlimited consensus.  
They don't even want to know what we're up to, they'll agree a priori."  
"WONDERFUL! I can't wait to leave the power to Tsunade...I don't want to see this office ever again in my life."  
"...Actually, she said she would agree, if you wanted to keep it.  
And being Tsunade, this means _she wants you to keep it_.  
And being Tsunade, well, YOU'RE GONNA KEEP IT.  
I'll help you as much as I can..."  
Kakashi smiled.  
"With you and Shikamaru I'm alright then..."  
"SHIKAMARU?  
He was here too?  
YOU HAVE – three – AHA! The foursome, fuck it, yeah!  
You scoundrel...he's too fucking young!"  
"Okay. OKAY. I'm leaving him. SWORN. Okay? I'm staying only with you. Okay?"  
"...Sworn?"  
Kakashi sighed. "Sworn..."

"This fucking game theory has to be rewritten" said Shikamaru.  
Orochimaru sighed and commented, deluded:  
"Mh. GUY is surely rewriting it right now, don't be afraid."  
Shikamaru looked him and sighed too.  
Then they said, contemporarily – with the same voice and the same tone:  
"No more Kakashi..."  
"Fuck it" ended Orochimaru, swallowing his sake.  
Shikamaru grabbed the bottle – Orochimaru slapped his hand lightly "NAAA. Not even dead I'll let you."  
Shikamaru sighed heavily. "But WHY not...?"  
"Are you thirsty?" smiled Orochimaru.  
Shikamaru smiled "You wish..."  
"YEAH, I WISH. Are we going?"  
"SHIKAMARU! WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED WITH THE EAST SQUAD?"  
A guy had run in, sweated and gasping, with a paper in his hand.  
"What east squa- What's with the east squad?" said Shikamaru, throwing Orochimaru out of his mind.  
"The order!"  
"It's five days we don't give them orders! WHAT ORDER?"  
"This..." he handed Shikamaru the paper.  
Reading it, he and Orochimaru made the same faces, swallowed together, knitted the eyebrows together and then WATCHED the guy together and opened the mouth together:  
"The fuck is this?"  
Then Shikamaru continued: "I didn´t write it. We haven't even got this information stated here!"  
Orochimaru said angrily "How could you wrong it, then? How _could you think_ this was Shikamaru's hand? Shik never forgets a full stop!"  
"That's...okay..." said Shikamaru "You noticed it however, you've noticed this wasn't me, right?  
THEY'VE NOT FOLLOWED THESE ORDERS, RIGHT?"  
"Ye-yes, sir.  
They have, sir."  
Shikamaru looked him, Orochimaru swore, the guy swallowed hard.  
Shikamaru ran out, going to Kakashi.  
Tsunade was there with him, to talk about the squads and everything.  
She was the only one who had remained in Konoha, all the others were patrolling again, looking for Akatsuki.  
Shikamaru ran in, hardly breathing, and said:  
"THE EAST SQUAD"  
Kakashi replied, calmly:  
"Calm down, I've already checked the situation.  
They're all okay.  
Luckily Lee was with Neji when he received the message, and Neji – FELT – something.  
He also said me that he's often recognized Orochimaru's thoughts in your orders..." he chuckled saying this.  
"Well, the foursome couldn't be, so did we split in couples, ISN'T IT?" asked Shikamaru bitterly.  
"WHAAAT?" shouted Tsunade. "Have you finished going all gay already?"  
"But you've got Shizune...OW!"  
Tsunade had slapped him, of course – Kakashi's mask was beginning to wear out, with all those slaps.  
Shikamaru looked at him angrily, breathed deep and murmured: "Then I go back to Oro."  
Kakashi nodded, distracted – Tsunade was chuckling and Guy had patted his shoulder repetitively to gain his attention.  
Kakashi had turned to him, annoyed and bitterly nervous.  
Why the fuck couldn't he let him simply TALK to Shikamaru?  
Guy was watching him menacingly.  
Tsunade stopped chuckling and watched the both of them.  
Then Kakashi stood up and said:  
"I'm going to have a talk with Anbus.  
OH, Tsunade" she looked him puzzled – the _acute_ voice in which he had spelt her name – "I want YOU as my right arm.  
Guy can take the supreme command on the joint militaries."  
"WHAT?  
Should I work with that fucker of Orochimaru?"  
"So you can be DEFINITIVELY SURE that he doesn't commit crimes."  
Guy walked to Kakashi, grabbed his arm and pulled him harshly out of the room.  
There he pushed him to the wall, grabbed his chin with one hand and his right hand with the other and growled:  
"You DON'T WANT ME here...? Tell me, fuck it, TELL ME that you don't want me here!"  
"You're annoying. That's not my fault."  
Guy slapped him.  
Kakashi looked him baffled – Guy was warm-blooded and touchy, _first of all_ on Kakashi – but now he was quite exaggerating with the violence.

Luckily they were two men – there was no excuse nor justification for a problematic trauma, there was only the slap Kakashi fired Guy in reply.  
Guy laughed.  
"Okay, okay. I'M GOING ON 'til you simply TELL ME what the fuck the problem is."  
"Told you.  
You're annoying.  
ANNOYING.  
Shikamaru is not the devil.  
I understand that OROCHIMARU is _not so different_ from His Excellency The Devil, okay – that's not applying to Shika, however.  
C'mon, Guy, you can't make my life a living hell 'cause I fucked with someone else _a few times"_  
"Four fucking days in a row AREN'T _a few times_, KAK.  
I asked around."  
"...they weren't even enough, actually.  
DON'T LOOK ME LIKE THAT!  
You should have understood that I'm not a motherfucking _nun_ only 'cause you aren't here!"

You could hear Guy growling even from the next room.  
Kakashi held his breath, watched him, twitched and managed to wriggle out – he stepped back, still watching him.  
Guy sighed.  
"Clear. As long as you don't _touch_ him – THEM – I won't say a word."  
"...and if I touch them?"  
"I'll break your arms and cut your hands off for the one and I will literally _skin you alive_ for the other, after having killed him."  
"The truth is that I can fuck with Orochimaru as much as I want, then" said Kakashi laughing "you'd never win against him."  
"...You wish me to die?"  
Kakashi gaped at him, shocked. "_It's you who talk of violence!"_  
"I TALK OF VIOLENCE AS LONG AS I WANT 'TIL YOU GO ON PLAYING THE BITCH!"  
"Hokage...?"  
Kakashi blushed violently and turned around – finding an underling of his in the hall, some twenty feet from them, waiting for an – _explanation_...  
Guy started laughing nervously.  
"Yeah, yeah, I just meant – if you go on looking for alliances anywhere we will _surely _get into some violence...it's so easy to be traitors, in politics, ISN'T IT? Well, I'm going to the HQ...have a good evening..."  
Kakashi smiled, relieved – he closed his eyes and sighed a short "Whooh".  
Then he watched the underling, still smiling, and asked: "What's up?"  
"Orochimaru-sama says he's done everything he could with the army.  
He asks if he can be of help anywhere else."  
Kakashi's face distorted – contracting in a kind of devilish grin that he had surely learnt from Orochimaru himself.  
"YEAH.  
He'll be GUY'S RIGHT ARM.  
Hu.  
Uhu.  
Uhu-uhu-uhu!"  
The underling watched him silently and then asked, quite cautiously: "Hasn't Tsunade come back yet?"  
"Yes, but she wants ME to be Hokage.  
Don't look me like that. She's my right arm and I DON'T EVEN WANT TO BE HOKAGE. Have pity on me..."  
He sighed again and came back to Tsunade.  
The underling went to tell Orochimaru and had to wait until dinner time to see him.  
Shikamaru and Orochimaru, both living in the Hokage's palace, had this habit of evanishing all of a sudden and then reappearing some ten hours later – then they were always hungry and tired like fuck.  
Exactly.  
Their underlings, including the high officers, NEVER tried to contact them when they weren't at the HQ .  
When they wanted to be at reach they were there, when they didn't want they disappeared.  
No one had really such a good opinion of this vice of theirs, but no one _dared _to intervene.  
Or well, no MORE dared they.  
They dared, once – they had interrupted the _whatever _those two were doing, going to the Hokage's palace and asking about them.  
Orochimaru had come 'til the palace entrance, angry like fuck and _totally embarrassing_ – half-naked – the high officers held their eyes stuck to the ground and stuttered some excuse.  
Orochimaru replied – nearly shouting – that ANYONE who would ever try doing it again "would be having a Mind-Body Switch Technique with a woman during her giving childbirth."  
Of course, NO ONE did even think of it.  
The Shikamaru/Orochimaru thing came out and became public in a couple of days.  
It was Shikamaru – quarrelling with Tenari – who made it actually public: Tenari had simply – but quite annoyingly – asked him WHY didn´t he even seem to notice she was around.  
Shikamaru plainly asked her: "THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN?"  
Tenari got angry and replied, shouting: "DIDN'T YOU LIKE ME? The fuck have you got in that brain?"  
"..." Shikamaru watched her silently for a minute, then said harshly:  
"I have to work."  
He turned his back on her and was practically leaving her there alone, in the middle of the street.  
Tenari grabbed his sleeve and shouted again in his face:  
"What do you think you leave me here like an idiot, Mr. I'm-Too-Cool-To-Give-A-Fuck-About-You? Who do you think you're talking to?"  
Shikamaru watched her – _leered _her – like she were a piece of shit.  
He was actually arrogant – self-confident – overbearing in a way that no one had ever seen before – except on Orochimaru.  
He watched Tenari right in the eyes, while he slowly spoke – in that hissing low voice of Orochimaru's – syllabifying:  
"What the fuck do you want by me? Let me work."  
Orochimaru came out of the Office door to witness the quarrel, a bastard slight smile on his face – proudly giggling at Tenari's back.  
Shikamaru felt him – he smiled – and said, in a loud and clear voice that was heard in the whole street:  
"_I'm together with Orochimaru, _darling.  
I don't have time for a whatever _schizophrenic hysterical paranoid_ _coward_ of a woman."  
And THEN did he left her there, went to Orochimaru, grabbed his arm and brought him into their office.  
Orochimaru burst out laughing, loudly and overbearing as always –but also Shikamaru laughed, contented and with a snake-like smile – eyes glowing, cold like diamonds.  
Orochimaru kissed him on the forehead.  
Tenari was left even the more shocked when _her brothers_ started to laugh at her compulsively – then Kankuro was moved by her depressed face and said:  
"Well, that was _no meat to eat_" and he started again laughing like an idiot "but there are plenty of men on earth, isn't it?"  
Tenari fired him a killer glance and murmured: "I think I'll become lesbian."  
Gaara: "YES! Can I witness your-"  
Tenari slapped him and ran away crying.  
Hinata moved to follow her and console her, but Gaara and Kankuro immediately said:  
"OH YEAH! That's perfect!" and she, shy as she was, couldn't do but blushing and stopping there motionless.


End file.
